Tremors
by david.a.hicks
Summary: An alternate viewpoint to look at what might've happened at beginning of season 6. Sam's consumed by the trap, but is he there for as long as given and if not how and when as to where did he get out. Not to mention, Dean is on the ragged edge by now, what if we tip him over a little bit?


TITLE: Tremors

BY: Daibhi

PAIRING: Sam/Dean eventually OMC

RATING: NC-17

DISCLAIMER: The boys are owned by themselves, lucky them, Kripke owns story rights and program stuff, I'm just playing with characters not wanting to make a red cent off it.

WARNING: Incest

SUMMARY: AU story of what could'a happened just as easily. Sam takes a fall and everything changes.

Another bar, another town, another hunt, that was Sam and Dean Winchester's world; but for the moment it was on hold. As one of the Winchester brothers fought for his life through an agent not of an external force. It began in truth many months previous and worked continually until this present day. Dean was usually the one who took the worst of the hits, the falls, the damage. But it was falling out of a second story window that set Sam on a precarious path.

Two weeks prior to the events that Sam was currently undergoing they were on a hunt in Houston, Texas. It was a reality straight forward case of a poltergeist action and it didn't take them long to corner the beastie. Sam had his back to a window in a bedroom when Dean broke the hold the poltergeist was attempting to weave about them, and he flicked the holy water in the direction of the presence when the presence in the death throes lashed out and smacked Sam squarely in the chest, throwing him through the second story window. Dean made sure that the critter was under control and gone, and then hurried over to the window, he saw Sam lying unconscious near a small garden area.

"Sam! Sammy! Hold on I'll be right down!" He ran by the grateful family who was in the living room having taken orders to remain there while they worked this out. Out in the yard however, his blood turned to ice in his veins, he started to life Sam's head when he felt the warmth and wetness that was blood, then he saw the quartz rock that was part of the gardens border and saw blood on the tip.

The father, Harry Complin, ran over and looked at the scene then whipped out his cell phone and dialed 9-1-1. Dean felt for a pulse and detecting one breathed a silent prayer of thanks, then he noticed his brother was still breathing, raggedly, but breathing on his own. "Hang in there son," Harry commented, "Ambulance is on the way. And my insurance'll take care of this situation. Hell that's why I'm paying that shyster all that blood money."

Dean barely heard the man; he was concentrating, willing his energy into Sam. It seemed like eternity but actually was only about 9 minutes, that he heard the strident sound of a siren coming down the street, the crew came running up with their kit boxes and examined the scene after getting Dean to give them some room.

"Neck splint and backboard." One EMT said to the other who ran back to the ambulance to retrieve the items. There was more talk and assurances, finally Sam was loaded up in the ambulance and taken away with Dean riding shotgun, and the Complin household following close.

Once at the hospital the team immediately took Sam into treatment and pointed the direction to the nurse's station where the required information was to be given. Dean wasn't thinking too much at all about administrative detail until the nurse gently called him to the present. "Mr. Winters, your brother's in good hands, now please we need some insurance information. With that Harry Complin who had managed to get back to the station handed her a card.

"The boy's riding on my ticket." He said nodding to a grateful Dean. In moments the nurse returned the card to Harry who excused himself.

Dean sat there giving other information including Bobby Singer's address as their home address. She got to profession and he said "We're hunters."

"Hunters? Okay, that's a first for me. "She said good humouredly trying to get Dean to lighten up a little. "Okay that's all the information we need for the present, you can go into the waiting room and we'll notify you as soon as we have some information available. With that he was being escorted, gently to the front of the Emergency Room area to a set of double doors and out into a crowded waiting room. He saw Harry, Edie, and Tommy Complin almost immediately. Harry was waving him over.

"Any word yet?" Harry asked.

"Not yet, they got him in trauma care and said they'd come get me as soon as they knew something."

"Well we sure are sorry that you have to have this kind of trouble on you after all the good work you did. Shoot, I'm tickled to have a clean house now. We could tell a difference almost immediately." Edie Complin commented.

"Say Mister Winters, did ya send that thing to hell like ya said you's gonna?" Tommy asked excitedly.

"Well son, we sent it packing that's for sure and certain." Dean replied with a ghost of a smile. "Oh you're going to want to dig a trench around the perimeter of the house, just a few inches deep, fill it with salt and cover it well. "

"Won't that kill the grass?" Harry asked concerned.

"Yup it'll kill off some of it, but it'll also give y'all a barrier to prevent any future poltergeists, demons or what have you from getting in." Dean said pragmatically falling into the habit of working to relieve stress. "The sooner you get that done the better." He advised.

"Well you damn well earned your fee, and then some." Harry said smiling. Then thinking, "What am I thinking of, we got plenty of daylight left let's get back and finish the job."

Dean sighed gratefully inside, he needed some alone time right now and all things considered it wouldn't be a bad idea if the family went to do some of the additional work that they'd have to do.

Harry passed Dean an envelope of some thickness, "$2000 in there just like you said. Plus a little extra for your assistance and good work. Now you got our number, you be sure to give us a call when Sam comes out of emergency and we'll see what happens." Dean nodded numbly and watched as they left.

Then he did the hardest thing in the world for himself and that was to sit down and wait. The first thing he did upon sitting down was to call up Bobby's number, it rang several times then the voice mail kicked in, when the beep sounded Dean tried to sound upbeat about the situation but the concern crept into his voice and would not go away.

"Bobby, when you get this, give me a call, we're at Houston Memorial Hospital, Sam's took a bad fall, I'm sure exactly what we are looking at but I can guess we're going to be off the trail for a while. Call me back soon man." With that he hung up and sat waiting.

It was twenty minutes later that Dean was asked to come back into the ER area to a small conference room, there he met the doctor who was tending to Sam. "Mr. Winters, you're brother is being prepped for emergency surgery. It seems that the fall has resulted in both a hairline fracture of the skull and a progressive hematoma on the brain. We are going to have to go in immediately if we're going to save him."

"So why are you wasting time standing here talking with me instead of working on Sam?!" Dean said slightly stridently.

The Doctor used to all kinds of patients looked at Dean and said calmly, "There's some paperwork you'll need to sign first. A medical directive, and permission to proceed."

"Where's the papers, I'll sign now, just get back in there and save my brother." Dean yelped. After several more minutes he had signed the appropriate paperwork and directed to a waiting area away from the Emergency Room where he could wait in comfort. He lay back in the recliner watch the news program on the television in the room and ready to spring at a moment's notice.

Dean was laying there mentally going through the morning routine for them now. His mind reached back and in moments he was back in their motel room, rolling out of the bed and heading for the bathroom, standing in there in front of the toilet he called to Sam, "Wake up boneless. We got work to do."

"I got your boneless." Sam said standing at the door to the bathroom and smiling lopsidedly. "I got you a boner too." With that Sam half turned to reveal his fully charged up and erect specimen of manhood. "Baby wants to play."

"Baby played like hell last night, I'd think you would be wanting a break this morning." Dean said as he flushed then turned to Sam giving him a good morning kiss. Which resulted in several such kisses until Dean broke the moment. "Come on sexy britches, sooner we get this poltergeist sorted out the sooner we can be back here for some play time."

"Promise?" Sam asked with a slight fake pout on his lips.

"Aw Sam, it's seven o'clock, puppy dog eyes aren't working for me just yet." Dean said grabbing Sam's still erect penis. "But if you're in that much need, I can stand for a milkshake this morning." Dean said with a devilish smile, sitting down on the toilet and pulling Sam closer until his uncut cock was inches from Dean's mouth. Opening gratefully Dean took it all and enjoyed himself immensely, he teased, nibbled, and sucked his way to glory as he would say and was glad of it. He was about three minutes into the best part of the blowjob for him which was when Sam would pick up the pace and feed him as much as he could of that 7 inch monster he felt the head of Sam's cock balloon momentarily and twitch, and then explode in a wonderful series of jets which filled his mouth with what Sam called "demon seed." Dean didn't see much of a joke in that but laughed along for the ride.

Now he was tensely waiting in a very cozy waiting room for surgical patients with about five others. Three of which were kicked back in their recliners asleep. Another who was busy trying to work a Soduku puzzle, and the last pensively looking at the door. Dean moved over and sat in the recliner next to him. He was a young man in his late twenties, who was quite well dressed, but had the look of being uncomfortable.

"Don't you just hate the waiting?" Dean offered to the young man who nodded slightly but distantly.

"I'm Dean by the way, Dean Winters."

"Cary Olstein," The other said somewhat non committally.

"Got someone special in there?" Dean asked.

"Yeah a uh friend of mine." Cary said quietly looking around with that fight or flight syndrome just under the surface.

"Yeah, my partner's back there, he fell out of a second story window this morning cracked his gourd." Dean said trying to ease the young man and suddenly the man turned to Dean.

"Your partner, as in work or domestic?" He asked.'

"Both." Dean answered to which the young man relaxed as if he were a balloon someone had just let the air out of.

"Thank God, I was thinking that I was by myself in this mess of a hospital. Todd, that's my partner's name, he's had a bout of pneumonia on and there's something wrong with his lungs." Cary said solemnly.

"So we're both in the same boat," Dean said sadly, then leaned in conspiratorially, "Two fags waiting on words." Cary spun a look at Dean then saw the playful glint in his eyes laughed.

"There are times I feel like we are the only gay couple in this town. But then I'll meet someone like you and it's not so bad." Cary said with a warm smile.

"No problem man, we gotta stick together." Dean replied as a nurse looked in and asked of Cary Olstein.

The boy practically leapt from his seat all nerves. "It's all right Mr. Olstein he's out of danger and we can move him into a room pretty soon, why don't you come on back and see him, he's asking for you." The nurse said kindly.

Cary started to leave then remembered Dean and bent down and kissed him on the cheek, "Give that to your partner, for making me laugh this morning, thank you so much." Tears glinted in his eyes as he hurried away with the nurse leaving Dean to stew alone.

Nine hours later the charge nurse stepped into the room and called for Dean. Dean rocketed up from the recliner and stepped into the hall with her. "You're brothers out of danger Mr. Winters, he's in the ICU and I'll take you in in just a minute so you can visit, I just wanted to prepare you, sometimes it's a bit of a shock seeing your loved ones in situations like this. His head will be swathed in bandaging with a tube out one side for drainage. He's on a ventilator for right now, and there are several IV fluids going into him. So like I said it may be a bit of a shock but he's going to be fine."

The nurse then led him back through a wing then into a brightly lit area which was surrounded by small cubicles that were opened to the main wing of the room but did have a privacy curtain available. It was another moment that Dean saw Sam, his head swathed just like the nurse said with tubes running to his arms, a ventilator running to his mouth and subsequently his lungs. The nurse guided him to a chair near the bed and seeing Dean's fragile state for the moment, pulled the curtain on the cubicle, patting Dean on the shoulder.

Dean nodded but couldn't take his eyes off Sam, his playful, serious, demonically obsessed and sometimes possessed, kid brother. He started to reach out and then drew back, the he reached out again resting his arm on Sam's, then staring at his brother for a long moment, he suddenly burst into a battery of silent sobs, he leaned his head against the bed and Sam's arm letting all the poisonous sorrow, angst, tension, every emotion he was wrapped up with pour out of his body.

He could not even begin to calculate how long he'd been in that position, but when he pulled back he did have a crick in his neck, the sheet and Sam's arm was pretty wet with his tears, and his throat felt like it was going to seize up with the agony of it all. It was about then that the nurse stepped around the curtain with a box of tissues in one hand and a glass of water in the other. Dean nodded his silent thanks the tears still flowing unchecked by the fact that he seemed pretty much himself again.

It was then he felt a slight stirring against his hand and looked up to see Sam staring back at him, unable to speak for the moment, but responsive. "Sam, Sammy!" He said overjoyed, at that he broke out in a fresh spate of tears and tried to get some semblance of control. "Hey you shit, I'm not the one who's supposed to be girly and look at me. I'm a wreck." He said sitting the water glass to the side and pushing the curtain open with his free hand. "Nurse…" He called. One of the staff nurses came over and gladly checked over Sam's vitals, his IV tree, and the ventilator.

She patted Sam's shoulder, "I know that ventilator's uncomfortable, we're going to try to get you off that contraption tonight. For now just rest easy." She then looked at Dean, "You can stay with him as long as you'd like but we like to encourage family members to get up and walk around a bit, go out for a bite to eat, anything. "

Dean took a sip of the water not trusting himself to speak without some semblance of order back in his life. "Ma'am I'm the only family he has here right now, I'm not leaving."

"Okay, I understand, the restrooms just across the way, there's snack machines across from them, but come his bed time you'll want to go back out to the waiting room to at least get some rest in one of the recliners." She said with a motherly tone, Dean appreciated that, and appreciated what they were attempting to do at putting him to ease, but he wasn't that easily dissuaded.

"Thank you ma'am, I appreciate that." He turned his full attention back to Sam and leaned over, brushing the bangs out of his eyes he bent down and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I guess you're sleepy, maybe a little bit?"

Sam nodded very slightly and winced, "Go to sleep my handsome prince, I'll be right here." With that Sam smiled slightly around the regulator of the ventilator and closed his eyes. He remembered his promise and dialed the Complin's number on his cell phone, "Hey, just wanted to let you know Sam's in ICU, he's out of surgery, no complications yet, he seems to be doing okay. Yeah me too, thanks for the quick assist back there. Yeah I will, I'll let you know how he's doing. Okay. Thanks, bye." With that he clipped his cell phone shut and shoved it into his pocket. Sitting back down he leaned over onto the bed his head just touching Sam's arm, and promptly fell into a doze.

He knew he was dreaming, how could it be anything else, he had seen his brother fall out of the window, he rushed over to the shattered framework and stared out at Sam standing on the lawn waving at him then he collapsed in a heap, then suddenly sprang back up again. He laughed slightly and then felt a slight shake as he was being gently wakened. The nurse smiled at him, "Sorry to wake you, you must've been having a good dream, you were smiling." She said with that motherly charm again.

"What time is it?" He asked knowing that they'd come in at 3:00pm and it definitely felt later, especially as sore as he neck felt.

"It's just now going on five in the morning. We are going to try to take the ventilator off him so if you'll give us some room to work."

With that Dean jumped up and gave them adequate room to get to the head of the hospital bed, without him getting out of touching distance. He took Sam's free hand and squeezed slightly. Sam returned the squeeze but he could see that his brother was still in the grasps of Morpheus.

The nurse and doctor unhooked the ventilator from the tracheal tube the slowly eased the tube from his throat. Dean cringed as Sam sputtered and coughed for a moment then took a ragged breath on his own, then another, and another, soon he was breathing in pretty much his normal rhythm with some hitches now and then. The nurse and doctor praised him soundly.

"It's a good thing you're as healthy as you are, you did a hell of a number on your noggin. Try to be more careful okay."

"Yeah." Sam croaked.

The nurse left and came back with a cup of crushed ice which he fed some to Sam then gave the cup to Dean. "This will give you something to do, "then she turned her attentions back to Sam, "You're going to have a sore throat for a while." The doctor came around the bed while the nurse explained what was happening. He cornered Dean outside the curtain.

"Mr. Winters, I'd be lying if I said he was completely out of the woods." The doctor started.

"What are talking about?" Dean demanded sharply

"Well there's the chance, the off chance with some patients that they will experience seizures for a while after such traumatic surgery. We're going to monitor him closely, but if it looks like that's the case we'll get him taken care of in that department." The doctor explained.

Back in the unit with Sam who was having his lips moistened with a wash cloth, and his face gently washed. Dean beamed as he saw his brother with that heartbreaker of a smile. "May I?" Dean asked reaching out for the washcloth. The nurse gladly passed it over to him.

Sam lay there feeling better now that he'd had something like a drink and at least his face washed. He looked at Dean and mouthed in a whisper, "Sorry." He said as tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

"You've got nothing to be sorry about you big lug. I'm just glad that stupid stone didn't do worse to your head." Dean said actually grateful for the conversation.

Sam indicated all the equipment with his eyes, "How're we, no insurance." Sam rasped.

"Complin's homeowner policy is covering it. Don't you worry, just concentrate on getting better." Dean leaned over not caring for who saw him and gave his brother a lingering kiss on the lips. "I'm just glad you're alive."

Sam gave him a look like 'what else would I be?'

"After all I just got you broken in; I'd hate to have to look after another partner with you all cripped up somewhere."

Sam laughed lightly, wincing slightly at the pain, and then his eyes got that heavy look again. "Go to sleep. I'll be real close if you need me I promise."

Sam then drifted back off to sleep gratefully; Dean in the meantime blinked more tears from his eyes. Then as he stood and stretched hearing his back pop in a couple of places he felt a hand on his arm, it was the charge nurse.

"Sir there's a gentleman out in the waiting area who would like to speak with you." The nurse told Dean. Dean gave Sam another careful glance, bent down and kissed his forehead and left the cubicle to go to the waiting area.

"Dean! How's Sam." Bobby said coming over to Dean as he came out of the ICU unit. He reached out to brace up Dean's shoulders as he was visibly sagging.

"Holding his own right now. He's off the ventilator and awake, well awake off and on. Doc's drained the hematoma and … Bobby I'm scared shitless. Gunshots I can handle, broken bones, no problem, hell even stabbings and cuts we can deal with. But this is totally out of the ball park for me." Dean said in a rambling rush to the man who was like another father to him. Bobby grabbed him in a hug and held on while Dean grasped him desperately in a hug.

When they broke the hug, Bobby grabbed him by the arm, "Come on son, let's go down to the cafeteria and grab a hot cup, get some breakfast into you."

"Not hungry." Dean said automatically.

"You will be now shut up and come on; the nurses will page you if there's a problem." Bobby ordered. Dean followed numbly.

Over breakfast Dean outlined the accident for Bobby, "and that was when he was shoved through the window. I wish I had that poltergeist in hand just to banish the fucker again. This time the hard way."

Bobby nodded and just sat there listening to him. Dean managed to get a little breakfast in him then looked around the room as if seeing the cafeteria was an entirely new experience for him then he started to get up from the table. Bobby grabbed his arm to steady him and guide him back into his seat.

"Dean, Sam will be fine, he's in good hands up there, you gotta calm down a bit and relax or you won't be any good for him." Bobby told him. Dean listened and reacted reluctantly to the commanding voice.

Just then Dean's cell phone rang off, he answered, "Hello, yeah, oh hi, pretty good, he's resting right now, no I'm being a good boy and having breakfast. No that's fine, we're doing good. Yeah I'll definitely call if we need anything, thanks again!" Clipping the cell phone shut he stuffed back into his pocket.

"That was the Complin's they're checking in with me regularly to see how Sam's doing. So aside from visiting us, you on a hunt down here?"

"Well yeah, there's a wendigo that's messing around in the woods just outside of Houston, I thought I'd give that a go."

"You're gonna take on a wendigo by yourself?!" Dean said shocked.

"Sure shake and bake no problem." Bobby answered.

"The hell you say."

"Well you could come with me." Bobby offered.

For the moment Dean was torn in wanting to help their friend, and wanting to stay by Sam. Finally he nodded and said, "I'll talk to Sam about this, you'll have my answer in as soon as it takes me to rouse him up."

Back in the ICU ward, Dean and Bobby stood by Sam's bedside with Sam actually awake and a little talkative.

"So what're you doing here with me instead of out helping Bobby?" Sam said crossly.

"Sam, I was just thinking about you. That's all."

"And I'm glad you are, but you're not going to help me by sitting here worrying yourself sick when there's work to be done." Sam said weakly.

"Easy Sam, you're not as strong as you think." Dean warned.

"Well son, he's told ya what you need to do. Give the nurses your cell phone number and come on. Sam you get some sleep boy, and get that damn wig-wam off your noggin, you look like a girl." Bobby said good naturedly. Sam smiled and nodded slowly.

Dean turned and walked over to the charge nurses desk, "May I help you?" 'Jolene Baker' at least according to her name tag said pleasantly.

"I'm going to need to be away from the Hospital for a few hours, you have my cell number in case anything occurs?"

She perused Sam's chart, "Got it right here honey, you go on and take care of business, we'll take care of your Sam."

"Thanks." Dean replied, and thought 'damn do all nurses sound like my mother.'

He walked back over to Sam and looked at Bobby with a "give us a private moment," look, Bobby taking the hint, smiled, patted Sam's shoulder, and told him, "Get yer ass outta that bed so you can join us on a hunt. Damn lazybones."

Sam grinned at the words and told Bobby in a weak voice, "I'm working on it ya old bastard."

"Bitch." Bobby replied then he squeezed Sam's shoulder slightly and left the cubicle. "I'll be waiting out in the hall. Hurry up and say your goodbyes."

After Bobby was gone Sam looked up at Dean, "Go, I'll be fine, I feel like shit, but at least I'm in a hospital."

Dean's voice choked up a bit as he spoke, "We'll get this wendigo situation sorted out as quick as we can and I'll be back here with you. I'll probably be in the woods tonight, but should be available come morning." With that he bent down and gave his brother a kiss on the forehead then one on the lips. "I love you bro."

"You too." Sam replied sleepily. "Go on ya damn queer bait before Bobby has a fit in the waiting room."

Dean let his hand rest briefly cupping his brother's face; Sam leaned into the caress and nodded.

In the waiting room Dean and Bobby caught up and headed to the parking deck. At the old beat up Ford Fairlane, Bobby motioned for him to get in, Dean eyed the car suspiciously.

"Man will this thing even run?"

"Got me down here, now come on ya damn galoot." Bobby ordered.

An hour later found them in a bit of private property on the outskirts of town, they followed the logging road that was cut into the property back about two miles in, then they climbed out of the car and went around to the trunk. "Made these up special for this trip." Bobby said passing Dean a contraption built on a gun stock.

"Simple enough thing to work with, the sparkplug is fired off by a small battery in the grip, the propane will ignite, and if you squeeze the trigger the fire will go from pilot light to full burn in nothing flat."

"And just where did you find the plans for this, Better Homes and Firearms!" Dean asked grinning a bit.

"Don't worry yer pretty little head, already field tested them and they work great." Bobby said reassuringly. "Now come on, let's find the site where the loggers were at last, should be just off the road here about a quarter mile in."

The woods were compacted with sparse trails except for the swath cut out by the loggers. "Basically the logging crew was cutting into this critters territory and it got pissed off a bit." Bobby said his voice practically booming. Dean looked around nervously and then saw the circle that Bobby had already created with the appropriate symbology to keep the thing at bay. Plus as an extra temptation there was a haunch of beef lying just outside the circle.

They sat in the circle keeping watch and talking a bit, "So tell me about this hunt y'all got lined up next." Bobby asked.

"Combination act of a trio of ghosts and a poltergeist haunting an industrial plant over in Pittsburgh. We were going up there to take care of that when this one came in, we didn't think too much about it until the man offered a $2000 reward for the one who could get rid of this poltergeist. Evidently they liked the house too much to move." Dean said then continued after a breath, "We're supposed to be in Pittsburgh by next Saturday."

"Don't worry about it, I'll catch up with another hunter in Philly and we'll go over and sort this out." Bobby told him trying to put him at ease. "You're going to have your hands full enough with …" Suddenly everything got still, the birds that were singing stilled their birdsong, the tree frogs that were croaking for rain hushed and there was a rustling in the brush. Suddenly a blur came out of the forest and was moving towards their circle with purpose. It stopped at the edge and could not move forward any further, Dean and Bobby aimed and let loose with their flamethrowers. The creature burned and that was that. At least that's what they thought, suddenly there were at least three other bush rustlings. Then a concerted trail going north.

Bobby stood up and motioned to Dean, "We got em on the run come on." With that he and Dean started tracking the wendigo that were in the woods. "Cover my six." Bobby ordered as they stopped for a moment in the deep wood. The rustling had stopped as well and there was a sound of wind being stirred as the wendigo were circling and coming in for a kill. They waited carefully until they could hear the nearest brush rustling, Dean turned slightly and unleashed a barrage of fire and swept it across the area. He heard a scream and saw on flaming up and turning to ash. With that the sounds of the hunt around them started to turn nasty as they were being circled.

"Careful son…their pissed off right now."

"Oh you think!" Dean said his voice slightly strident.

Suddenly a rush from Bobby's left, and then his right, firing first to the left, Dean whirled and fired off to the right, catching another one in midst run.

"That's one left." Bobby said as he heard the brush rustling away from them, quickly they followed as a shower broke out over them. "Don't worry I tried these babies out in a full downpour they will still fire up fine." Bobby reassured Dean. It wasn't long until they'd lost the trail of the one they were tracking and were about to give up when they came upon a huge fallen tree that was hollowed out, inside were stacks of human bone remains. And a rustling in the back the both let loose and managed to fry the third one easy enough.

Breathing a sigh of relief they followed their back trail out of the wood, their clothing plastered to their skin with the rain and hair blown by the wind. Once in the car they headed to a motel where Bobby had booked him a room.

"Man I'd rather get over to the hospital." Dean said slightly tense.

"First thing is you're going to change out of them duds, you're soaked to the skin and you'll catch worse that a cold if you don't , second after you dry your hair a bit, we're going to grab a bite of lunch or supper or whatever THEN we'll head over to the hospital." Bobby pointed to his bag, "Brought some of your stuff from the house."

They both stripped down and dried off and then got dressed rapidly, Dean was growing more anxious for some unknown reason when his cell phone went off. "Yeah, Dean Winters here, yeah, oh shit when? Okay I'll be right there, oh he is, and, okay…call me if there's a change. Thanks." He turned to Bobby his face pinched. "Hospital called, they had to rush Sam back into surgery, more fluid pocketed to the side of where they first drained. He's got a fever as well, so they're icing him down, said that he'll be out of surgery in about six hours and that was an estimate." Dean collapsed on the end of one of the beds with his head in his hands.

Then he looked up to Bobby who was standing by, "Okay let's get some chow and then back over there."

"You got it. Come on this hotel at least has a halfway decent diner. That way we don't have to get out in traffic right now."

Dean tried to stand and failed, then tried again. He looked up at Bobby, "I'm drained I feel whacked."

"Look you stay here, lay down for a bit, I'll go get us a couple of hamburgers and be right back." Bobby offered to which Dean's reply was to fall back on the bed, and try to relax.

Bobby returned to the room about a half hour later to find Dean still on the bed and snoring. Bobby sat the food to the side, ate his share and sat back to wait on Dean to wake to get some food into him.

It was a bit of a wait, Bobby kicked back and was watching TV turned down low when Dean mumbled and rolled slightly. His eyes opened and seeing Bobby he sat up slowly.

"Sorry, fell out there. How long was I out of it?" Dean asked.

"Didn't kill ya." Bobby noted then looked at his watch, "You've been out for about an hour. Now get up and get some food in ya." Bobby ordered.

After eating they made their way back to the hospital where they found the charge nurse in ICU waiting for Dean's call. "Mr. Winters, your brother is still in surgery, but we heard from the doctor about a half hour ago and they say he's holding up fine. We'll give you a call as soon as he is out of surgery and in recovery."

"Thank you. Thank you much." Dean muttered. Then turning to Bobby, "Well they know a little but that's better than nothing. Sam's still in surgery but's holding his own. Got any more hunts that you're planning on scoping out while you're up here or you on your own time now?"

"Pretty sure that there's something around here I could turn up if I tried, but no, I've got nothing in particular right now." Then in almost an embarrassed whisper he muttered, "I've missed you boys, I tell ya right now when you said that Sam was back you could've knocked me over with a handful of feathers. I was fully expecting the call about something you'd run into that was a little out of your league."

"Hey I'm not that bad of a hunter." Dean said grousing.

"No you're not, but you're also just like your daddy, you'll jump into the middle of a firefight to rescue a kitten." Bobby noted.

They continued bantering like this for the next hour until at last they decided to call a halt to it and settled back to watch some mind-numbing television while they waited.

It was well on twilight going into the silky blackness of night when the phone in the waiting room rang and it was the charge nurse.

"Hello?" A young girl who was there waiting as well said as she picked up the receiver hoping for news of a patient dear to her. "Oh okay, Winters, anyone here with the Winters' family."

Dean was on his feet in a flash taking the proffered receiver, "Dean Winters here."

"If you will come through to room 11 Dr. Bandicroft will see you and fill you in on your brother." The nurse said warmly.

Dean wasted no time and basically dragged Bobby along as well. "You're family, so shut up and let's go."

In the small reception room they waited for a few minutes until the door opened admitting a short, balding British doctor.

"Well got your mate out of surgery about a half hour past. He's doing well as can be expected, the swelling has been managed and the spot we had to work on was drained. It looks like we've managed to get the worst part of the situation taken care of." Dr. Bandicroft said jovially.

"I hear a 'but' hanging in the air." Dean noticed.

"Well, he's going to be dealing with some cognitive impairment for a short while as he brain settles down, it's highly probable that he will also have a bit of a seizure disorder to deal with as well. That we can treat with medication. He'll be in rehab during the early part of his recuperation." The doctor nodded to Bobby, "You're a family friend I take it?"

"More like a daddy to these boys." Bobby said proudly.

"Good, they're going to need some family support for the next few weeks. Mr. Winters, I'm not sure of your living arrangements, I understand you and your brother are from out of town, but there is a nice boarding motel about a mile down the road that can put you up relatively inexpensively as your brother…"

"Partner…" Dean said firmly.

"Excuse me?" The doctor asked puzzled.

"He is my brother, he's also my partner. It's difficult to explain." Dean said quickly.

"Domestic or professional?" The doctor asked.

"Shit, I get tired of that question." Dean grumped, "Both. Okay, we're domestic as well as professional partners." He turned to Bobby who grimaced a bit at that.

"Well to make it a short run, the motel can put you up with a letter from the hospital for $250 a month is my understanding." Dr. Bandicroft said now back on track. "Your brother's lucky to be of what seems to be strong stock; he came through a surgical procedure that most I've operated on recently have had some major complications with. You see the swelling was pressing on the brain stem, too much pressure and any number of complications could erupt. "

"When can I see him?" Dean asked.

"He's being moved from recovery back to his room here in the ICU, you should be able to see him in a few minutes." The doctor replied. "Do you have any further questions?" He waited, "No, all right then, you see to your brother, and I'm going to finish up my report on the surgery then catch a few winks."

"Thank you doctor." Dean said gladly as they all stood.

"Thank you Mr. Winters." The doctor said.

In the ICU area they walked over to Sam's room to find that yes he had been reinstalled there. With an extra visitor who was basically being ignored by the staff. The familiar figure of Adam looked up from his seated position by the bed.

"Good I've been waiting for you." Adam said smiling. "Don't worry about Sam, I've given his recovery a bit of a push."

"Oh so we're talking to Michael then." Dean started, and Bobby looked just a mite taken aback by the whole situation.

"Yes I'm sorry that I've intruded but we got word that your brother had taken a nasty tumble and while yes we can reach out and touch him and heal him completely, there are some things which he is going to have to endure to make him stronger for the battle ahead."

"What battle are you talking about?" Bobby asked in a low tense voice.

Adam/Michael sighed long, "Unfortunately it's a battle between the demons and the angels. Those who were released on Earth number still about a two hundred and they are very very upset with you two, well I should say us three. Especially considering I was the one who was ultimately responsible for taking down Sam into the Devil trap."

"Well there is that to consider." Bobby said still pitching his voice low.

"Don't worry I've shielded us and this conversation from the Nurses, they can only hear what is chosen for them to hear. And they'll not recognize the fact that I was here. I'll be in contact later when Sam is awake and coherent. For now keep a close guard on yourselves. I'd also advise you to keep this with you at all times." With that Adam /Michael reached out and clasped the little pendant on the necklace that Dean wore, it grew briefly lighter and then when released Dean found that it was almost uncomfortably warm.

"That will afford you some protection, as much as is allowed." Adam/Michael said smiling then he stood, "I must be gone now, either myself or Castiel will be checking in with you from time to time. Be well." And with that he was gone.

"Damn, I wish they'd quit meddling in our lives." Dean said his voice intent.

"We'll talk about that in a minute. Back there with the doc you mentioned that you and Sam are more than just brothers basically, okay that I can deal with, hell I've already dealt with it." He looked around nervously. "But are you sure it's the best thing making it as public as you are."

"I'm not going to hide anymore Bobby. That's not going to happen, folk will know what they need to know, but if letting the doctor and staff here know that I care for Sammy on more than one level they'll be that much more careful to see that his recovery comes along quicker." Dean explained.

"Not saying for you to hide, just cautioning you. That's all. Look why don't we go down and see to setting you up with a room at that motel, then you can sit and go over a plan I've got that might keep you a bit busy until Sam is in a plain room." Bobby noted. Dean looked at his brother who seemed to be sleeping peacefully. He was not best pleased with the idea of leaving him for any period of time.

"I can get the room later, for now, I'm staying right here."

"Damn it, you're just like John." Bobby grumped.

"Thanks." Dean answered.

"That wasn't necessarily a compliment wise guy." Bobby said.

"Hey you gotta take what you can get." Dean replied.

"Hey you two wanna fight take it to the hall." A tired mumble came from the bed which got both men's attention.

"Sammy!"

"Sam!"

"Yeah yeah, I'm awake, been fighting this damn drug since recovery…again. This is getting old fast." Sam said crossly.

"He's feeling better, he's bitchy." Dean said with a smile.

"Well you like like two miles of rough road boy. But damn I'm glad to see you awake after that scare." Bobby said not totally convinced that all was well but pleased to see Sam conscious all the same.

"Got a headache that's coming on." Sam mentioned, the nurses were on him immediately pushing Dean and Bobby out of the way.

"Well your temp is slightly elevated, but that's probably post-operative. I'll get you something for the pain." Nurse Tolbert said warmly.

"Will it knock me out?" Sam asked.

"It will make you drowsy." She said curiously.

"Could we hold a few on that at least until I have a chance to touch base with my brother and uncle."

"Sure honey, y'all just buzz me when you're ready." Nurse Tolbert withdrew with the loaded syringe.

"Dean what you're going to do is just what Bobby said, go get you that room taken care of, you need a real place to crash and this hospital is good but I need you 100% just like you need me. Bobby you go with and y'all work some cases around here. I'm going to be fine, hell I'm not going anywhere." Sam said plainly.

"And they know we are partners, domestic and business." Dean said to warn him off a bit and maybe put him at ease, instead his eyes popped open and he looked quickly to Bobby.

"Oh hell boy, I've known or at least suspected something like this would happen eventually, happens to nearly all hunters. You develop a bond that's stronger than just a professional relationship. Hell I don't care, it just means that you'll watch out for each other's back that much more." Bobby said then added, "Of course John's probably doing 360's in his grave right now."

"Huh, he's probably giving the devils hell." Dean said smartly.

"Okay, nuff of that, sweetie I need you to take care of yourself, not be a martyr to a cause. Surely not be a Florence Nightingale. You need to hunt, it'll help keep your edge on and the boredom off. I'll get a private room soon enough and we'll see what happens from there."

"Okay Sammy, I get the point, you don't need me around here, so I better get my ass cracking and get some real work done."

Sam reached out and snagged Dean's hand, "I'll always need you, but I need you working and getting stronger, with or without me around. Hell that's what I did while you were in hell." Dean bent down and kissed him fondly then stood back up not meeting Bobby's slightly pop-eyed look.

"Let's go get that room killer." Dean said to Bobby, one of the nurses came back over with the loaded syringe and a paper in hand.

"Dr. Bandicroft just had this delivered to you, he knew you'd want to stay close, this is your authorization to get reduced rates at the Econo-lodge just down the block." Then she turned to Sam, "Ready to rest for a bit? You've been talking quite a while."

"Please, my head is pretty sore, and could I have a drink of water please?"

"Sure sweetie, just give me a moment." She inserted the needle into the port on the IV line and pushed the drug into his system. Then giving Dean and Bobby that motherly look shooed them out of the unit.

It didn't take long for Dean to get settled into the room, which was a lot nicer than any room he'd stayed in for a bit. At least this one was relatively tastefully decorated. Ready with two queen sized beds and all the toiletries he'd need for a day or two. Dean kicked off his boots and stretched out on the bed nearest the door. He was anxious to do something and didn't know what was happening.

A knock at the door interrupted his revelry and he got up, checked the door, and let Bobby into the room. "Okay son, this is what we've got on the plate." Bobby said plunking his bag down and sitting on the opposite bed. "We've got a bonified haunting in West Houston, a poltergeist in Mid-Dallas/Ft Worth area. There's supposed to be a ghoul on the loose down in Bozeman. So which are you game for, I mean as it stands Texas should be crawling with hunters pretty soon, but for now it's us."

Dean thought for a long moment, nodded, "The ghoul, it's been a while since I messed with one of them and I'm ready to be doing something useful."

"Okay you take the ghoul, I'll take the haunting and then we'll both that on the poltergeist. Agreed?" Bobby said with some finality.

Dean nodded and started going through his duffel and equipment bag making sure he was lined up for the kill. "So you are ready to go off on your grand adventures again?" A voice said behind him. He jumped visibly as did Bobby.

"Shit, next time give some warning." Bobby said grumping.

"Well Cas, what brings you out into this neck of the wood? Going with us on this hunt?" Dean asked.

"This time I'm staying behind, I'm a friend of the family who is going to keep an eye on Sam while you are in transit on your job." Castiel said simply.

"Thanks Cas." Dean said understanding the import and his gratitude palpable. "So what do you think his chances are?"

"You're worried about your brother so much you will endanger yourself, you need to go into this job convinced that he'll be in good hands. Dean, Sam will quite literally have a guardian angel sitting by."

The argument and statement that Castiel made was simple enough still Dean couldn't help worrying the topic slightly.

"You didn't answer my question." Dean observed.

"The only thing I can tell you for certain is that he will live, he will have a slight impairment, Dean you've already been told all this, why make me be repetitious? Go do whatever you must do on this hunt and do it in the quiet assurance that your brother is being cared for." Castiel admonished then as quickly as he had come he was gone.

Bobby shook his head but agreed that the advice was sound, "You're acting like a mother hen after her brood. Dean, Sam'll be fine, it's you I'm worried for. You're going to be facing down a ghoul, I know you've done this before, but you're going to have be more careful, a helluva lot more careful."

Dean sat down on the foot of the bed and started breaking down his pistol and checking it over, then checked his packing. Everything seemed in order, so he went to the front desk and let them know he'd be away for a couple of days getting some business taken care of. They agreed to hold his room for him.

Satisfied he walked back to the room in some peace, and as he and Bobby turned in for the night, Dean couldn't help but again notice how much of the bed was left without Sam there to sprawl in it. With some fitful tossing he soon fell asleep. He dreamed, dreams that would make a teenager blush with pride or shame depending on how he felt at the moment. He was dreaming of a motel they were in during a hunt in Virginia. The room looked out on one of the majestic ranges and was a change from their usual venues. Sam had welcomed Dean into the bed with joyous abandon and they made out for about an hour just hugging, kissing, stroking each other's fires, and in general relaxing from a job well done. Dean was always pumped up after a successful hunt and this one was mega successful in that they didn't only bring down a "closet monster" as the child called it, but a few creepy crawlers in the basement as well.

Dean pulled back from the foreplay and looked at his brother in relief, they'd had some close calls on the case but were glad to have it done. "Don't you ever put yourself between me and the critters like that again." Dean ordered.

"Well I wasn't planning to." Sam admonished. "Come here and show me that you really care."

"Shit, let me break out the toy box and I'll show you care." Dean said shucking off his underwear the last morsel of clothing he was wearing, much like Sam.

"No toys, use yourself." Sam said high on life at the moment.

With that Dean proceeded to body kiss his brother, starting with each toe and working up his legs and thighs, around his crotch but not on it. His stomach was targeted for a little bit of nibbling and tickling play, then the nipples, Dean's second favourite part of his brother's anatomy. He worked his way back down with agonizing slowness and flipped his hips around in a 69 position. Sam didn't waste any time he immediately dove onto Dean's cock sending his brother into wide eyed wonder as he always did with the way he used his tongue and teeth. He sucked and nibbled, sucking on the foreskin, and tasting every morsel of his crotch before concentrating on giving his the blowjob.

Dean was in much the same position with Sam as he proceeded to nibble his way to glory. He luxuriated in the satiny feel of Sam's cock head on his tongue, delighting in the taste that was Sam alone. Moving one arm while he worked on his brother's cock, he sent a finger probing into his anus, diving in slowly and methodically. Rimming him for all he was worth. Dean left the cock for a moment and lifted Sam's leg to spear the anal ring with his tongue, he worked this way for about five minutes or more then came back to the cock, spearing the ring with his spit slicked finger, he reached in deep and found that walnut nugget sized gland that was Sam's prostate. Sam groaned mightily around Dean's cock as Dean started to slowly massage and tease that gland sending Sam into paroxysms of joy from just the play. It was about then that Dean felt his cock twitch with the unmistakable sensation of an impending orgasm. He sucked and played with Sam in earnest now wanting them to come at the same moment. Sam knew what he was about and released all control to Dean and within moments they were both spasming in the throes of some massive orgasms.

Afterward they lay there a tangled mess of arms and legs until Sam, still playfully sucking on Dean's orgasmed tender and sensitive cock, managed to work him back up to another boner. Dean wasted no time in applying this erection to the soul purposed of fucking the living daylights out of his brother. He loved doing this because after an orgasm, he was ultra sensitive but at the same time ready to play even more. And the best thing was the staying power he had after that first rush. He fucked his brother in three separate positions having Sam finally in a position they loved with Dean on top with Sam's legs on each shoulder. Dean plunged in deeply, ready to come and knowing what it would take to send him over the top.

He started massaging Sam's stomach and then his balls and finally started power stroking his cock. Sam couldn't hold out for long as he came again and again crying out in joy, pain, and pleasure. The spasms that were gripping Dean were enough to send Dean over the edge as well.

Dean woke after these dreams to find that he was not only soaked in pre-come, but in an ejaculation as well. He smiled to himself and rolled into his pillow fighting the urge to cry out Sam's name.

Dean was true to his word, leaving on that Friday he'd returned to the room Monday morning to find that Bobby still had not returned from his hunt. Dean's was so straightforward as to be elementary school work. He was a bit put out that the locals didn't try to deal with this one. Maintaining a semblance of cool he showered and changed, changed a dressing on a wound he got at the hands of that creature. Then drove over to the hospital, in the ICU wing they notified him that his brother was progressing nicely and had been moved to a room in the main hospital, room 631.

Dean walked the halls and found the room, upon entering he saw Sam and Castiel engaged in a game of poker. "Deal me in." Dean said off handedly.

Sam looked up and grinned broadly. "Dean!" His appearance was much improved, his head was bald where they had to shave for the surgery, but the tubes were removed and simple dressings on the wounds.

Dean walked over in a saunter fighting the urge to leap into the bed with his brother. Then he shook himself chagrined to think that he was considering acting 'girly' in his book. He grinned back at his brother and walked over heedless of Castiel and proceeded to give Sam a massive hug and a kiss.

"Damn but you look a hell of a lot better than you did three days ago." Dean commented.

"Pfft!" Sam made a sound like air escaping from a balloon, "Woke up the next morning after the surgery feeling much better. Dizzy headed, but the nurses have already let me up from bed to walk around the floor and I can sit up for about an hour at a time before I start feeling it."

Dean smiled again blinking away tears that were furiously attempting to form, he swallowed a massive lump and looked over as Castiel. "Thanks for looking out for him for me."

Castiel waved the comment away then asked, "Your hunt was successful I take it."

"Yeah, the ghoul practically handed me his own head on a silver platter. I mean I staked out a likely haunt the sucker showed up and I plastered him. It was almost too easy. I mean I'm glad it wasn't a massive problem, but hell, it felt going in like it should've been more." Dean opined.

"Don't bitch about an easy job, God knows we've had our share of hard ones." Sam noted. Dean only nodded then sat down on the bed with Sam. He couldn't take his eyes off his brother as he was told about his situation in the hospital over the past two days.

"By the way Dean," Sam was suddenly serious now and Dean felt a punch in the gut coming, "they got me on Tegretol, for seizures. "

"How bad?" Dean asked not really understanding just what was expected now, "I mean do they happen all the time."

"Well the doc said I could expect to have them for about a month off and on. I'm sorry." Sam said looking at Dean, gauging him.

"We'll deal with it. That's the main thing, it's just good seeing you up in bed and actually doing something other than scaring the bejeezus out of me." Dean mockingly griped.

Castiel rose from his seat, "Well I hate to break up this little reunion but I've received some news which you both should know about."

"And that is?" Dean asked suspiciously.

"You've got a demon tracking you, that was one main reason that hunt went so well, it generated the events in one end of the state taking Bobby off to the other end separating you two for days. It pretty much knows where you are, but refuses to attempt to try anything on this turf as it were."

"Well damn ain't that just peachy." Dean said sarcastically.

"Okay, so we got one on your tail, will it come into the hospital?" Sam said quietly.

"I fully expect it too, in fact I expect to have a confrontation with the creature tonight." Castiel sighed volumously and then looked at the brothers. "My hope is that Bobby will return soon to give you Sam the extra protection, for now. I've imprinted a demon trap over the doorway into your room, and Dean, I expect you to salt the windows immediately."

"On it." Dean disappeared to go to the car for supplies.

Castiel looked back at Sam, "Do your best not to use your psychic talents against this creature, it will be expecting just that, but in the condition you are in right now, it could be fatal."

"Great, the one weapon that I know would work and I can't fire the gun for fear of having it blow up in my face."

"That's about it Sam, I'm sorry, but just in case it turns out to be an angel I had this made for you." Castiel reached into his pocket and pulled out a charm cast in silver, with the Enochain symbology for the angel dispersion spell. "All it needs is a drop of your blood to activate it. Then you clap it between your hands and any angel within a few feet of you will be dispersed. Just one thing, please wait until I'm out of the zone before you use it if you don't mind."

Sam smiled and gratefully hung the medallion around his neck.

"Why do you think an angel would be involved?"

"Not all of your enemies are demons, there are a few angels who are rather sore about what you did to their General. When you took Michael into the pit with you a few months back, you proceeded to cause a major stir in Heaven and Hell. Hell was pitching a fit because their master was locked back in his cell but with an archangel. Heaven of course because their leading archangel was locked up with you and Lucifer in the pit."

Sam lay back considering the ramifications. "Is there anyone we've not managed to piss off?"

"Yes, God." Castiel said with a ghost of a smile. "He is definitely favoring you boys right now. Something he has not done in a millennium, but you are His chosen right now."

The door opened as Bobby entered the room in a rush, "I saw Dean down on the parking deck his packing for bear and told me to salt your windows. What's up?"

"Hello to you to Bobby." Sam said with a smile. "Looks like we're popular with the demon team again."

"Well I've got something better than just salt. Housekeeping might come in and sweep it away accidentally or on purpose. With that he pulled a small tub out of the small bag he was carrying. Then reached into the tub taking out a handful of what looked like biscuit dough. Then rolling it into a long snake like shape, he proceeded to press it into the caulking that was around the windows edge.

"Salt impregnated window putty."

"Smooth." Sam said thinking now his turned back to Castiel, "You said you expect a confrontation here tonight, here as in this room of in this hospital?"

"The latter I'm afraid. This creature will attempt to take as many civilian casualties as possible before getting to you. This demon is akin to a reaper but is cognitive and reasoning whereas a simple reaper is concerned about merely taking life, this one plans out its movements."

"Oh this is just peachy." Bobby said with due sarcasm. "By the way, you look good boy. Better'n you did a few days ago."

"I feel better. Now if I could just get a reasonable salad up here I'd be on cloud nine."

"Here," Dean said reentering the room with his own overnighter bag. He handed Sam a white foam tray. "Got that downstairs, knew they'd probably try to keep you on a restricted diet, and the last thing you need is lime jello." Dean said as he sat his bag in the corner. Sam opened the tray to find a full chef's salad complete with his favorite dressing.

"Aw man I love ya." Sam said digging into the greens.

"Oh don't start that shit." Bobby said sarcastically grumphing.

"You're just jealous." Sam sniped playfully.

"You wish." Bobby retorted. Then looked around the room, "Okay the windows salted, you said there was a demon trap in here." He indicated Castiel who nodded. "So I guess we just wait and follow the screaming."

"That, Bobby, is unfortunately any of us can do. I can't predict where the demon will enter I just know it's coming. And to quote you, he's pissed."

"Oh that's just fucking great." Bobby hissed.

Dean looked around, "Hey could y'all give us like a little private time? I mean the shits gonna romp here in a little while anyway, please?"

Bobby looked down a moment and Castiel focused on the wall for a moment.

"Look I'm asking nicely. Just a few minutes, I promise to come out into the hall and let you know it's safe and we have our clothes on."

"Oh Jesus." Bobby said turning red and leaving.

Castiel had that enigmatic smile of his as he left the room.

"I thought we'd never get a minutes peace." Dean said grinning.

"You'd think they were chaperones." Sam said with a look at Dean. They shared the look for a moment then Dean grabbed his brother in a hug his brother returning the hug with equal force. "God I missed you."

"I was only gone two days." Dean said quickly.

"Yeah and that was two days that I really could've … no I'm not going there." Sam said finally then looked at Dean again, "You're here now that's all that matters."

"two days that I really could've used you here." Dean finished his previous statement. "That's what you meant wasn't it."

"Dean please, let's not fight, not now of all times." Sam said trying to force a smile around his frown of sadness. "I was just being selfish that's all." Sam said shaking his head. "That's me all over."

"You are not selfish. If anything you are the most selfless guy I know, hell it would do you good to be selfish once in a while." Dean said kissing Sam on the forehead, then the nose, and finally smothering him in a long welcomed kiss on the lips. "For what it's worth, there wasn't a minute on that friggin trip I wasn't thinking about you." Dean said when they broke the kiss.

"Too bad we got so much shit coming down on us, because I'd love nothing better than to show you how much I missed you." Dean said with a smile that turned into suggestion. Sam laughed, and shook his head slowly.

"Not right now you don't not unless you want to give me a sponge bath first, I feel like I'm carrying around a ton of dirt, not a decent shower since I got here. These little wipes don't cut it." Sam griped.

"First order of business after all this is over is that I give you a long suggestively indecent sponge bath." Dean offered.

"You're on." Sam said smiling. "I've missed that too,"

"What?" Dean asked.

"Oh seeing your smiles like that. Just seeing your smile this evening has been worth the wait." For that Sam got another soul kiss.

"I've missed your smiles too, something about those dimples that just get my juices flowing every time." Dean said grinning mischievously.

Just then the lights in the room flickered. "Oh shit, Guess what's coming to dinner." Dean said quickly looking out into the hall and signaling Bobby and Castiel. "I take it that power flutter wasn't just a coincidence."

"He's here." Castiel said quickly. I'm going down to cover pediatrics, Ariel is covering Infants and Bethamel is covering the Trauma Center. It's up to you and Bobby to handle anything here." With that Castiel simply vanished.

"Three angels, there are three of them on duty here. Just what did you boys do while I've been gone that makes you rate three angels?" Bobby asked looking around nervously.

"Oh the usual, Sam took on Lucifer and nearly lost, you got killed then revived, I got the shit beat out of me and was healed and I watched Sam and Adam disappear down the rabbits hole."

"Will you talk sense." Bobby said his tone strident with the situation.

Dean sighed as if explaining something to a child. "I got the shit knocked out of me, the Sammy came back into play and took the rings, opening the gateway, he was about to jump in when Adam or rather the archangel Michael plowed into him trying to haul him away from the trap, Sam pulled him into it."

"And for that you deserve a great deal of retribution." A voice from the doorway announced. They looked and saw a man, a simple man, about six feet tall standing there looking at them mockingly. "I've got some of my kin keeping the angels busy, I wanted a little private time with you before taking you back."

"Well you won't have a better time to try it than now. We're not defenseless but we are in a tight space here. Come on in and join the party."

"Come now Dean, you think I'm that much of a simpleton not to know where there might be a trap set, I can smell the salt." The demon said quickly, "and I can feel the emanations of what can only be a demon trap. So nope I'm going to stay right here and wait for you to come out to me. Oh and to make it a bit more interesting, Sammy…look at me."

Sam was compelled by the voice as much as he tried to fight and had to stare the demon in the eyes. Suddenly the eyes started flashing like strobes, red beacons of light that penetrated the darkened room now that the power had fluctuated to near instability. Sam's eyes locked, then his right arm and hand started shaking, followed by a pulling look to his body then he flexed backward on the bed and convulsed in a seizure. Bobby seized the bite stick on the headboard and shoved it between his chattering teeth that suddenly locked on the inanimate object.

"Come on out and play with me Dean." The demon taunted.

"Go, do your worst with him." Then in an undertone, "give me a chance to set up something here."

Dean in a fit of rage lunged through the door with a strangle hold meant for the demon that easily evaded his touch and proceeded to punch him solidly in the gut. Dean slid back several feet on his ass as the demon strode forward flicking his foot nonchalantly and kicking Dean in the jaw.

Lightning fast Dean whipped his arm around and swept the demon's free leg out from under him sitting him on his ass, Dean was back on his feet in a heartbeat as was the demon.

"I love a good fisticuff Dean, it's so refreshing to feel the breaking of bones and cartilage."

"I hope you love the feeling as much." Dean said pummeling at the demon and striking home on several blows only to have the demon look back at him and shake an admonitory finger.

"My turn." Dean tried his best to block the lightning punches of the demon but he felt the strikes hitting home, and then the demon had him down on the floor choking him. Dean reached his waist band and whipped out his demon knife and slashed at the midriff of the demon causing him to leap back in serious pain. Bobby then standing in the doorway threw some powder on the demon causing small sparks to break out and flare up and convulsing the demon on the floor. Dean then stepped in quickly and not thinking drove the knife straight into the demons right eye socket and driving him back on the floor, the thing convulsed several times then went still, then dissipated into a human shaped mound of ash. The nurses and staff in the meantime were busy at the other end of the hallway helping those. Dean ran back into the room and hit the emergency call button. In moments a nurse was in the doorway with a medicine tray in hand. She assessed the situation and quickly administered an injection into Sam's right arm.

The room was basically untouched but the hallway was a wreck.

"I have no idea what's going on here, but I don't like it one little bit." She said crossly, she then looked at Dean, "Your brother will be sleeping shortly, and I'll call Dr. Bandicroft as he might want to see him immediately." With that she left the room, "My word what is that!" She said pointing to the mound of ash in the hall.

Dean was still getting over the fight, "Don't know ma'am, and haven't got a clue." He said breathlessly. With that he collapsed against the bed rocking Sam slightly.

Sam moaned around the bite stick and then weakly tried to pull it from his mouth. Dean reached over weakly and pulled it out for him. Bobby was pushing his tool bag back into the corner hiding the sawed off shotgun in the process.

"Sam…Sammy." Dean called. To Sam it seemed to him as if coming from a great distance.

"…ean?" Sam said incoherently.

"Rest baby brother you had a seizure. Doc's on his way."

It was actually about thirty minutes later that Dr. Bandicroft arrived at the room, Castiel was back with them and was glad to see that as little damage as had been done was done. Bandicroft entered the room then froze in place. He couldn't move forward or back. Tiredly he sighed, "Would one of you mind releasing this trap, I can't help Sam while locked up."

"Uh hello…demon…I'm not so sure I want that help."

Castiel stepped around the bed and Bandicroft held up hands, "Hold on a minute angel boy. I was asked to do this by my boss. I was actually supposed to look out for him. I mean not all of us demons are sad that Lucifer's back in his trap."

"Who's your boss?" Dean asked.

"Crowley. He said you could summon him if need be to prove the case."

Dean walked over to hospital tray and spread some salt out in an even layer. Castiel looked disapprovingly. "Hey Cas I'm not worried, Crowley may be a demon but he's helped us out a lot recently." With that he drew the sigil with his finger tip in the salt then pressed his palm in the center of it.

"Well I was wondering when something like this would happen." Crowley said coming into the light from the shadows in one corner of the room. "How's Sam?" Crowley asked.

"Sleeping right now, do you want to explain this?" Dean asked pointing to Bandicroft.

"Yes, he's working for me, I already knew he had medical experience so I assigned him to look in on your brother, he was to keep his demon profile buried deep so as not to alert anyone. Especially those who wouldn't understand the treaty I have with you boys."

"Treaty?" Castiel said his eyebrows arching. "This is something you failed to mention."

"Sorry, in all the excitement I guess remembering every little detail was something I left out." Dean walked over standing on tiptoe he scratched at a place on a ceiling tile with his knife freeing Dr. Bandicroft who immediately went to Sam's side checking him over carefully.

"By the way good work on the reaper, he was a bit of an advanced model but obviously not the brightest crayon in the box. I'm sorry he put you through all this." Crowley said meaning it. "Well I see that Bandicroft has things in hand so I'll leave you to it. By the way lads," including Bobby, "you're not half bad when you work together." With that he was gone. Bandicroft looked abashed as he checked over Sam.

"I really am sorry to have kept myself hidden like that, but well I couldn't risk suspicion or detection yet. I'm leaving soon and all that the staff will remember is an intern named Bandicroft, not the brilliant surgeon. "

"Hey for what it's worth, thanks." Dean said nodded to him.

"No need to thank me, I was just filling a position, but I was glad to help. Your brother is doing much better now, he'll sleep for a few hours, and then wake, when he does he'll probably feel remorse and disorientation. Indulge him and work with him. That'll help him the most." Bandicroft stepped back from the bed and nodded to them. "Gentlemen it's been a rare privilege and an honor." With that he was gone and the door opened as another Doctor stepped through the portal.

"How's he doing, I heard he'd had a seizure."

"He seems to be resting well now." Then the doctor turned slightly in the light and Dean could make out the name on the identification card on his jacket.

"Doc. Robertson, how much longer do you think he'll be in here?" Dean asked.

"Hard to say, he's responding well to treatment, if he continues to respond this well, he should be able to travel in about a week or so."

"Good that's real good news." Bobby said smiling.

"Well the Ativan is taking effect so I'll leave him to rest, no damage to his incision sites, and no signs of increased trauma." He nodded to Dean, Bobby and Castiel. "I would really prefer it however that he have as few as possible here when he wakes." The doctor said by way of a broad hint.

"Well I need to get back to the office." Castiel said nodding to them "Call me if anything develops." He said to Dean in particular.

"You bet. " With that Castiel stepped into the hallway and vanished.

Bobby looked at Dean, "Want to toss for the first watch."

Dean responded, "Nah, I'll stay over the night, just in case he does wake up. But if you can relieve me about 9 that'd help me."

"Well now that's decided." The doctor said nodding. "I going to say Good night and I'm going to hit the road."

The room was quickly emptied of everyone except Dean and Sam, Dean walked up to the head of Sam's bed and gently brushed his bangs out of his eyes. Sam cracked his eyes open sleepily.

"Love you." He said in a hoarse rasp.

"Love you more." Dean said with a smile. "Get some sleep bro."

The morning broke with Sam still sleeping, thankfully a peaceful sleep, Dean noted that his face looked less pinched so he guessed that some of the pain was subsiding. Sam woke up once during the night with Dean waking up himself as the sheets rustled.

"Sammy?"

Sam rolled his head to face Dean and smiled, "Glad I got you for a big brother." He said in what would have been a drunken stupor if he'd been drinking.

"Glad to have you for my little brother, go back to sleep."

"k" Sam muttered closing his eyes.

And with that there were no further disturbances during the night. The nurses came in on their regular rounds to check his vitals but everything was peaceful during the night.

It was just a few minutes till 9 when Bobby showed up in the room. Dean looked at his through sleep hazed eyes. "Hey boy, did you get any sleep last night?"

"Some, nurses kept waking me up."

"We need to talk." Bobby said simply.

"No." Dean said.

"You don't even know what I was going to say." Bobby said irritated.

"You were going to try and argue a case for taking Sam off the road." Dean said quietly.

"Only for a little while until we make sure this seizure this is either under control or better yet it disappears altogether." Bobby reasoned.

"Bobby I'm just not ready to have this talk yet." Dean said.

"Well you may as well get ready cause I have a stake in this as well." Sam said waking. "Morning guys."

Dean sprung to his feet then stumbled slightly, "Damn leg fell asleep."

"Probably cause you been poised like a cat all night." Bobby noted.

Sam looked up at Dean fondly but with pain in his eyes. "Dean I'm not good to you in the shape I'm in, and you know it."

"Shut up Sam."

"No," Sam ordered, "this time you don't get your way about it cause I know what I'm facing and just how big of a hazard I would be in the field right now. Hell, as soon as I am fit to go back into the field with you I'm going to have to put up with your watching out more for my ass now."

They talked over options and plans for the next hour coming to no clear conclusion. The main argument Dean had was emotionally based and he was not about to make an attempt to hide that. He basically was not ready to think of himself in the hunt alone. Then Bobby came up with a plan.

"Look this is what makes sense to me. I sell off that 15 acres of timber on that land I've got out on Highway 5, we use the money to get Sam set up financially to keep him at the house while you and I go on the hunts. We'll keep the hunts local until we're sure that Sam will be all right, and when he's able to go back on the road with you fine. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Dean had to agree that the idea made sense but he was still remorse to consider not being on the road with Sam. They'd been that way for over 10 years total, and now he was going to have to give it up again, but this time not for college but something more serious. Sam's life.

"Hell you can stay in the house until you're ready then you can move back into that trailer I gave you boys. Leastwise that way you're not left alone." Bobby said quietly.

Finally Sam agreed that Bobby did have a good idea and even Dean had to admit Sam was right. Though it saddened him greatly to think of the missed time they'd have to endure. Then Dean shook himself, 'Damn I'm getting more like Sam every day.'

"Okay I'll agree to this with some reservations. First you dear Sammy will not be left alone until we are sure you have some idea that you can control yourself with these seizures. Second, I'll be checking in regularly, so you'll just have to deal with that. Last, I'm going to ask Castiel to keep an eye on you." Dean said plainly.

Sam threw up his hands in a 'why me' gesture and nodded slowly, "Ok if that will make you happy, by all means."

"Damn it Sam, I'm doing this because I love you and am worried about you." Dean said exasperatedly.

Sam nodded smiling fondly, "I know and I'm glad you are, but you got to remember I'm a big boy now. I may have some problems but we'll deal with that." Dean bent down and kissed him tenderly. "And as soon as I'm well enough I'm going to break out every toy in the box on your ass so be ready!" Sam warned.

"Oh Christ." Bobby said gruffly. "I would say get a room you two but you got one, just not one that the housekeeping staff would appreciate you tearing out your "toys" in."

A knock at the door caught their attention and as the door opened they were relieved to see it was Dr. Robertson.

"Morning gentlemen, how's the patient this morning?" He asked indicating Sam.

"He's fine, giving me fits but he's fine." Dean said sitting back down.

"Do me a favor and roll on your side facing your brother okay?" Sam complied winking at Dean who smiled. The doctor checked the dressings and satisfied pulled him back over on his back. He checked his vitals and was content. "You're looking a lot better this morning, that seizure last night rattled your cage a little but you don't look the worse for wear."

"I feel fine, hungry but fine." Sam said watching the Doctor.

"Hold up your hands for me." Sam complied, He then led Sam through a series of neurological dexterity tests which for the biggest part, Sam sort of passed.

"Well I'll check your blood work and then get on to see some patients who are really sick." The doctor said with a smile patting Sam's shoulder, "You'll be out of here in no time if you keep healing like this."

"Thanks doc." Sam said gladly. Then he turned to Dean, "Go get you some breakfast then go to the motel and get some real sleep."

"Okay okay, I can take a hint." Dean said good humouredly. He stood and walked around the bed and kissed his brother again, "See ya this evening."

"Get outta here." Sam said grinning. Dean was on the verge of leaving when he turned around and nearly plowed into Castiel.

"Good morning to you too." Castiel said with a small grin. He looked at Sam, "You're looking better, good, I'm going to see that your brother makes it home all right, we need to talk over a possible hunt that he is needed on, and well, recognizing your need to be reassured Dean," Castiel reached over and took Sam's hand caressing the gold and silver ring on his ring finger, and said "There, you start to have a seizure and an angel will be notified to assist.

"I know I've said this before but I gotta ask again. Why us?"

"We are deeply indebted to you both for the actions you played in stopping the apocalypse. Even though at the same time you caused it to be born." Castiel sighed, "You're important to us, that should be enough to satisfy. Now come Dean, you need some breakfast and we need to talk."

With that Dean permitted himself to be pulled from the room. Sam shook his head in wonder. "Well that's something I thought I'd never see."  
"What?" Bobby asked.

"Dean Winchester being bodily, voluntarily dragged away by an angel." Sam said with a chuckle. "Come on a deal the cards while we're waiting on the breakfast cart to get around."

It was over breakfast that Castiel revealed his plan. "Dean, that reaper that was sent after you last night was subtle and smart, that's what worries me, and these demons know your tactics now and are waiting to use them against you."

"Well I can't just lay down and wait for them to pounce can I?" Dean said resigned.

"No, I'm not saying that you should, I'm saying that you're going to have be that much more careful on your hunts."

"Great I have to look over my shoulder for the thing coming as well as look out in front for the thing I'm chasing. That's just fucking peachy."

"You'll get used to it, you've already spent some time in that mode, just use some of the wiles that Alastair taught you in Hell." Castiel said quietly.

"You would have to bring that up. You know I spend most nights trying to forget that little period of time."

"The horrors of it, yes I agree you should work on forgetting, but there are a multitude of ideas I'm sure that Alastair taught you in interrogation and the hell hunt, that you could put into play here."

"Damn it Cas." Dean started angrily now, "I don't want to be that kind of hunter, I don't want to be that ruthless and uncaring."

"You may not have a choice. At least in the short run." Castiel acknowledged. "I'm sorry to have to bring this news to you but better you be prepared for what's out there, than run blindly into the night."

Castiel sipped on a cup of coffee as they spoke, it was the first time outside of the event with famine that he could remember seeing Castiel eat or drink anything. He nudged the cup, "Can't help it this is a weakness of mine, a plain cup of black coffee." He said noticing Dean's attention on the cup suddenly.

"Just looks strange seeing you with anything like that in your hands."

"There are times when I have to indulge, to keep this…meat suit…functional." Castiel said with a smile.

Dean sighed long and deep before continuing. "What do I need to do?"

They spent the next two hours going over strategy before Castiel even broached the subject of the hunt that he was directed to send Dean on. It was straightforward and simple enough, he would be sending a ghost onwards from a home he was haunting, the only thing was it was Castiel's hosts home.

"The spirit has been tormenting them for about a year now, the only reason that the wife does not sell and move on is that the market for housing has somewhat crashed. She can't get the house sold and that's playing heavy on her sanity. There's a fear that if we do not act soon she'll be driven to despair and possibly suicide. Should that happen my host would reject me totally and I'd have to find another."

"So y'all don't play for keeps." Dean noticed.

Castiel shook his head sadly, "No we don't possess a body that ultimately doesn't want us there. That's too much like what the other side does."

"When should I get on the road for this case?" Dean asked.

"Within a day at least." Castiel said quietly.

"A day! A day! With Sam in the shape he's in and you want me on a hunt in a day!?" Dean said exasperatedly.

"Dean I don't plan the game, but I have to play by the rules. Sam will be fine, and this will work to help strengthen you for the road ahead when you do have to take to the hunt without Sam for a while." Castiel commented. "The positive side with this case is that you can be completely truthful with Jean Bartlett. She's expecting you."

"How?" Dean started the stopped, "You already told her I was coming didn't you?"

"In a dream yes, she knows help is on the way."

"Why don't you just step in and take care of this yourself?" Dean asked.

"Like I said I don't plan the game, I just got to play by the rules."

"Still say it sucks." Dean grumped.

"I agree." Castiel said quietly.

That evening, after Dean had had a chance to sleep and then shower he was back over at the hospital. He was not overjoyed to have to tell Sam this, especially as Sam was now conscious and more himself.

"You're going on a hunt." Sam said to Dean more of a statement of fact that anything else.

"I've got to, otherwise Cas's meat suit will have to deal with either a crazy wife out there somewhere, or worse, a wife who's offed herself."

"Ouch." Bobby said.

"Yeah, Sam I'm not really kicked up about this y'know. I mean I wanted us to have some quality time together."

"And we will, I promise you Dean we will, Bobby and I have been talking, we can come off the road for a month, live at the trailer or in the house for that matter. We can take each day as it comes for a while then when I'm better we get back on the road. Only one thing…" Sam demanded, "You've got to treat me as your Sammy, not as a baby brother who constantly needs his nose wiped. You've got to treat me as an equal and not mother hen me to death, are we good with that?"

"Sam, I…"

"Are with good with that?" Sam reiterated.

"We're good, not that I like it but yeah we're good. But you picked a helluva time to become Mr. Independent."

"Oh I'm not totally independent, I'm still going to rely on you from time to time, and I expect the same back. We got to support each other, not prop each other up."

"Okay I think I'm okay with that." Dean said haltingly the Bobby stood walked over to the bed and peeled off two twenties from a wad in his pocket and gave them to Sam.

"You bet on what I'd do!" Dean said incensed.

"Yep, may as well have something fun to do." Bobby sniped earning him a sour look in return.

"You've got to go and you've got to go now." Castiel said appearing beside Dean.

"Whoa! Dude I wish sometimes you was like Samantha in 'Bewitched' at least when she popped around there were sound effects to warn you she was coming." Dean said recovering from the momentary shock. Castiel gave Dean a look that would have withered new flowers. "All right so what's the rush, this afternoon you said that leaving today or tomorrow would be fine. What's changed."

"She's making preparations to kill herself now." Castiel said clearly disturbed.

"Oh shit." Dean's voice was resigned. "Okay so I'll go."

"No, this time you go my way though I'm loath to have to use this method of travel but stand up." Dean obeyed, Castiel held out his arm, bared to the elbow, "Take hold and don't let go." Dean did and time seemed to compress around them then a pop and he was stumbling in place as they stood in front of a plain house with a small fence bordering the front yard. "Go…now." Castiel urged. Dean waved him down and walked quickly up the steps then knocked on the door.

Ms. Bartlett! Ms. Bartlett." Dean called. He walked across the front porch looking in the living room window to see the lady of the house downing a handful of pills. With that he rushed back to the door and hammered it in. "Ms. Bartlett, Jean! It's Dean Winchester, you were told I was coming."

She was collapsed in a chair in the living room, and looked up as Dean entered. She laughed dryly, "Heh, you're too late, don't try to stop it. I can't live with this anymore." Dean walked over and did the only thing he could think of and that was to shove his finger down her throat, thankfully the gag reflex worked bringing up what appeared to be over a dozen small yellow tablets that appeared about half dissolved. She barked a dry laugh at him while throwing up. "Leave me alone, I can't stand this life any longer."

With one hand he supported Jean while with the other he dialed 9-1-1. "Yeah I'm at 542 Carriage House Road, Jean Bartlett just tried to overdose on…" He fumbled around and found the bottle, "Zanax. Yeah I'm sure the bottle is right here in my hand. Thanks" Dean said and clicked his cell phone shut cutting the call off. "Just hang in there, help's on the way. Now tell me what caused you to do this."

"Tom's spirit, it's been appearing to me in the house, so I know he's dead." She said crying now.

"No he's not, his body is still very much alive which means his spirit is fine." Dean interjected.

"He's lying you know." A disembodied voice sounded from behind him.

"Look I don't know who the hell you are, but you're not her husband." Dean said reaching in his pocket and grabbing a silver medallion then tossing it between the spirits feet. "Well now I'm glad that I went to the trouble of having me about a dozen of these made up."

"What have you done?" The spirit that looked like Castiel/Tom Bartlett said.

"Pinned you in place for starters, Castiel is still around, which means, you're not Bartlett's spirit, now just who are you buddy?"

The face dissolved and the body changed into the same demon that Dean had fought in the hallway at the hospital.

"You're little demon trap may hold me for now, but soon enough I'll find a chink and break through."

"Maybe so, but I've got a little extra protection this time." With that, Dean pushed Jean back into the chair, then stood pouring the contents of a small bag in his coat pocket over the demon. Then he crossed the air in front of the demon and started up in a loud voice. "Exorcizo te, omnis spiritus immunde, in nomine Dei Patris omnipotentis, et in noimine Jesu Christi Filii ejus, Domini et Judicis nostri, et in virtute Spiritus Sancti, ut descedas ab hoc plasmate Dei, quod Dominus noster ad templum sanctum suum vocare dignatus est, ut fiat templum Dei vivi, et Spiritus Sanctus habitet in eo. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum, qui venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos, et saeculum per ignem." The demon convulsed then dissolved this time into the fine black smoke he knew so well.

The ambulance could be heard in the distance and he stepped out on the front porch to hail them down just in case. The ambulance and a police car arrived on the scene and questioned Dean briefly about his whereabouts and why he was there.

"Look I was out for an evening stroll and I was going to look in on Jean, we go to the same church, I didn't get an answer at the door and I saw the living room light on. I know she's been feeling a bit down lately and so I looked in to make sure that she was all right. That's when I saw her down a handful of those pills."

"Fine" the officer said, "You'll just need to stop by the station tonight to make a formal statement and we'll be done."

"Not a problem officer." Dean said, "not a chance." He thought.

"Well she was lucky to have you walk by like that," One of the paramedics said coming out with a stretcher. "Now Bob don't go harassing this guy, I wish we had more people in this town like him. Make our job a helluva lot easier."

"Well thank you for your statement Mr. uh." He looked at Dean askance and Dean produced his driver's license, well at least one of them. "Winters, thank you Mr. Winters." Dean pointed to the house, "Do you want me to lock up, I mean Jean would have a fit going off and leaving her door unlocked."

"Sure, go ahead." The officer said as Dean reentered the house. He went to the kitchen and found a carton of kosher salt, and one of standard table salt. He proceeded to go through and salt all the windows, and door sills. Then he left a note for her, and put her key under a pot on the porch. Locking the house he turned around and into Castiel.

"Thank you." Castiel said content.

"Okay you want to whisk us back to the hospital?" Dean asked.

"No can do, I wasn't even supposed to bring you here like that. But here, this I can do." He produced a bus ticket from New York City to Houston, Texas.

"Okay not exactly my favorite mode of travel but it'll do." He stepped down to the curb and looked around for the nearest main thoroughfare. Castiel helped by pointing North.

"That way about ten blocks and you'll come to the depot, there's a bus pulling out at midnight, you've a good hour head start so walk." Castiel said.

"You can be a real bitch sometimes."

"That comes with the job description." Castiel told Dean.

Once on the bus and headed back to Houston, Dean called Bobby's cell phone and spoke briefly with him telling him that he was on a bus and should be back in town in a day or so as it was an express. "You'd think the way he snatched you out of here, he could at least bring you back the same way." Bobby griped.

"No thanks, once was enough for this old boy. Hey let me talk to Sam for a minute."

"No problem, he's beating the pants off me in this hand of poker."

"Now there's a sick mental image." Dean said in his usual smartass tone.

"Bite me. Here's Sam." He passed the cell phone to Sam.

"Dean!"

"Sam are you all right?"

"Fine, just playing some more poker with Bobby."

"Well I'm on an express for Houston, should be there sometime the day after tomorrow evening, according to the schedule."

"Oooh too bad I'm not with you, always wanted to do it on a Greyhound."

"Your twisted." Dean said at the same time he heard Bobby in the background say, "I'm gonna step out for a cup of coffee."

Back on the phone, "Dean I'll be okay. I'm a big boy now."

"Yeah that's what my ass keeps telling me." Dean piped back at him.

"Smartass, how'd you like it if I held it back."

"As horny as you stay, not likely. Well let's not run our cell batteries down any further than they are."

"Yeah, I want to talk to you later."

"What, is something up?"

"Just me." Sam said quickly.

"Now that's a mental picture I'll be able to sleep with. See ya tomorrow baby."

"You too."

With that Sam and Dean pretty much clicked their phones shut at the same moment.

Dean rode through the night, sleeping in an uncomfortable bus seat, while he knew his brother was sleeping on an equally uncomfortable hospital mattress to know they were equally uncomfortable didn't set well with Dean but he knew that he would hate having comfort while his brother lacked. So reclining he seat on the nearly empty bus he quickly fell asleep. He knew he was asleep and that at the same time he was bound up in his dreams. Quite literally bound up as he dreamed that Sam had him tied wrist and ankles to the bed face down. They'd often had sex play like this but for some reason this time he felt panic. It was then that the shade of his brother melted revealing that ever calm exterior of the hospital demon.

"I owe you for what you did to me. I can't reform for at least three centuries, but I can make your life torment for a while." With that the demon uncoiled a long whip snapping it uncomfortably close to Dean's back , "Oh don't worry I'm not going to use something so mundane as a common whip, I just used this to get us started. You like it rough you're going to get it just that way, very rough. With that he produced a put plug that was at least 6 inches long, but as fat as a babies forearm. With no preparation at all, the demon placed the tip against Dean's anus and shoved hard. Dean bridged up wards and screamed in pain and agony as he felt like his insides were being ripped apart. Then the demon produced a multi laced cat-o-nine-tails, though this looked like 29 tails. But something was strange the tails were crawling and wriggling, they were alive and they were snakes. Knowing one of Dean's secret fears the demon trailed the snake whip down his back, pausing to let them slither over him momentarily. Dean cried out shamelessly in terror as he felt them wriggling over his back, then the demon snapped the whip and they became leather thongs, each frayed at the tip. Dean lost count as 25 lashes, he was beyond coherent thought in his dream. The torture seemed to last for ages when at last there was a pause, then the demon ripped the butt plug loose, causing Dean another mind-numbing scream, Dean was sobbing in agony by now, his guts on fire and his back in agony, he knew inwardly that the demon was not going to kill him but leave him alive to repeat the incident again and again until he succeeded in driving Dean Winchester mad. The Demon then laid the whip aside as well as the butt plug and bent down and kissed Dean on the nape of the neck, and then Dean awoke sweating a cold sweat looking around and noticing the other patrons were looking at him in wonder. "Sorry very bad dream." He told the group apologetically and then slumped into his seat dejected and worn out.

He tried to doze off again and woke himself up only to arrive at the bus station in Houston, bloodshot of eye, rings under same, and very exhausted. He'd had presence of mind to call Bobby when they got into the city limits of Houston to have him meet him at the station. "Bobby I need your help." He said without preamble.

"What up son?" Bobby said recognizing the thread that Dean was hanging by. Dean explained the dream in detail and then told Bobby, let's go to the motel, the moment that dream starts you start the exorcism. The bastard can't take physical form, but he's able to project mental images, if I keep having them like I had last night, I'll be a raving nutcase in short order."

They got to the motel and Bobby laid the salt lines fresh on the property, then had Dean strip to his shorts, he then took an eyebrow pencil and drew a sigil on Dean's chest.

T his time Dean fell asleep almost immediately, he was in REM sleep within moments which gave Bobby a scare, then in the depths of Dean's psyche he was visited by the demon.

"You didn't think something that simple would keep me out did you." He told the bound and hanging form of Dean.

"Oh I knew it wouldn't keep you out, I just know it won't let you out either." The demon tried to disperse and found that he couldn't. Suddenly he started writhing as Dean realized that in the waking world Bobby was reciting the exorcism ritual.

"You can't to do so now would utterly destroy me." The demon nearly pleaded.

"And I'm supposed to be sorry about that?" Dean said maliciously.

"Well let's just give this a little push along shall we." Castiel said stepping up to the demon, "I smite you in the name of the Lord God on high, He who is the sun next to the cinder of your master. " With that Castiel placed his palm on the demon's forehead causing it to burst into flames. Castiel wasted no time in cutting Dean free of the bonds. Dean gratefully stood there for a moment then grasped Castiel up in a hug, and planted a kiss right on the Angel's lips. When they parted Dean was actually embarrassed. "Sorry about that." Dean said apologetically.

Castiel shook his head, "Don't worry about it. You're needed by Sam right now. Wake and go to him."

With that Dean exactly what was suggested, with Bobby driving, as he certainly didn't trust his own driving. In the hospital they found a couple of nurses in Sam's room making him comfortable again.

"Shh, he's sleeping right now, seizure, grand mal type, he'll be fine, just disoriented." Dean nodded to the charge nurse and sat down by the bedside, taking Sam's free hand in his. He then leaned into the cool hand and broke down in heartrending sobs.

"Hey hey , Dean, come on, it's not that bad." Bobby said uncomfortable with catching Dean vulnerable like this. Dean looked up at Bobby his cheeks wet with tears, his voice choked, he was also shaking uncontrollably.

"I don't want to sound ya know, girly about this." Dean started choking slightly on the emotion of the moment. "But I don't know how much more I can take Bobby." Dean said between gasping sobs, "I mean I've held on for months now, hell years while we've fought this shit, then a poltergeist nails Sam, Sam ends up in here, then the demon attack here in the hospital, the job I had to do for Castiel, and then those dreams, one was bad enough, but the thought of a repeat was too much." He turned and grabbed Bobby's hand, "I 'm no wuss, you know that and so do I, but I'm tired Bobby, I'm tired and I need a break."

Castiel appeared behind Bobby and walked around him taking Dean's hand in his own. Then pushing the reclining chair back until the foot rest popped out he brushed Dean's tears and looked at them curiously.

"God knows of your pain Dean, He sends this gift of peace to you." With that Castiel brushed Dean's forehead with his fingers and Dean's head lolled.

"What'd you do to him." Bobby said irritated.

"Gave him a chance to have a peaceful sleep, something which he has denied himself for some time."

"So when he wakes he'll be okay?" Bobby asked.

"He'll be rested, that's what he needs most right now, we've taxed him too much and for that I apologize, I'm going to have a guardian angel put on his, all of yours case." Castiel took a deep breath, "He's young, eager, and willing to assist them."

Dean's dream this time was somewhat polarized to the one he'd had earlier. The scene was a tropical setting, a beach of white sand, no one around, their own private cove, the sun was at mid-day, the water crystal clear and a magnificent blue. He and Sam were lying on the sand, just lying there thinking about nothing, Dean was resting his head on Sam's shoulder and was totally relaxed. He looked up from his position to Sam's features which were quietly relaxed. He sighed and leaned into the embrace.

"Happy?" Sam asked.

"Deliriously." He rolled off Sam to take a beer from a nearby tub of ice. "Want one?"

Sam reached over and grabbed Dean's forearm, "No I want you." Dean grinned and pushed the long neck bottle back into the ice, then he rolled to Sam.

"You got me. Now question is how do you want me?" Dean asked with a wicked glint to his eye.

Sam grabbed him around the neck and pulled him down. "This works. No toys, no pretense, no long drawn out requirements, just like this." With that Sam pulled Dean over and had him laying halfway on top of him. They kissed, long and deep, none of the frantic urgency that they'd long been used to but just a long relaxed kiss of tenderness and peace.

"Can we enjoy this vacation for a while?" Dean asked compliant.

"However long you want, we can make things happen and we can make do. The main thing is that we take some time off the road and just relax for a change, none of that hurried packing and moving on, none of that grabbing sex when we could get it between jobs, none of that choking down cold hamburgers or warm salads." Sam said smiling.

Dean ran his fingers through Sam's hair which was about as long as his own. "Well it's starting to come back."

"Hey don't make fun of my fur."

"Of your fur never, of your head hair well that's another matter."

With that they proceeded to kiss, hug, and roll in the sand, not caring at all, just happy with the way things were. Finally they stopped rolling with Dean on top of Sam their bodies pressed together in a deliciously languorous manner. Sam kissed Dean's forehead, each closed eye, the tip of his nose and the full lips which Dean seemed to be wonderfully endowed with. They just kissed and held each other, in no rush to get to the finish line, just glad for the company of the other.

The scene altered slightly then with the sun westering and the waters highlighted in the glow. They were both naked now and were delighting in the touch of their bodies, flesh on flesh.

Sam laughed when Dean reached down and fondled him.

"What's so funny?" Dean asked pulling back. Sam grabbed his hand and put it right back where it was.

"You, I mean twice is nice you wanna go for three times."

"I want to go for as many times as we can while in this paradise. I just want you." Dean said caressing him gently, his calloused fingers working over Sam's length making it strong and hard yet again.

"My insatiable little satyr." Sam said reached down to return the favor to Dean. Then the dream scene changed yet again and this time, Sam was being slowly ridden by Dean, it wasn't fucking as much as it was truly making love. Dean was pursuing Sam with the slowness and carefulness as if he were a fine bottle of wine. He loved each stroke of their lovemaking and lovetaking. Sam welcomed each touch, caress, kiss, and sensation that he was receiving from his brother. Then suddenly Dean started to pick up his pace ever so slightly, pushing deeper into Sam, staying in longer, and groaning wonderfully at each long stroke, until at last with a cry of utter relief he came yet once again collapsing on Sam.

"Can we stay like this forever?" Dean asked contentedly.

"Afraid not, we've got work to do, but nothing that will spoil if we take some time for us." Sam said quietly, enjoying the musky smells of their sex mixed with the clean smells of the ocean. Even that was intoxicating.

Then it seemed to Dean that the dream was fading and he was suddenly terrified and feeling hopelessly abandoned until he felt a kiss from Sam and the fading words, "I'll love you always."

Dean woke from his sleep relaxed and at peace with himself for a change. He felt the raw edge of tension and stress lurking in the background but he could keep a handle on this stress. It didn't feel as debilitating as it once had. His cracked open eyes and saw that the sun was just peeking in through the closed curtains. It was then he saw Bobby sitting his chair across from him, propped up watching him. Sam was sleeping now, the gentle soft snores his signature of being at peace. He looked at Bobby who had a funny expression on his face.

"Something funny?" Dean asked quickly.

"You, don't worry, you didn't say anything, it was just seeing you sleep with a smile for a change. God knows you boys, hell all of us, have had our fair share of shit come down the pike. Sam's been sleeping right on with you, he stirred at one point and started to wake then changed his mind and fell back asleep." Dean looked at Bobby with some chagrin.

"I guess you're beat, here let's switch chairs, this ain't the most comfortable recliner in the world but at least you can get some shut-eye for a while." Dean said rising, Bobby made no pretense at being gallant he gladly took the recliner, leaned back and closed his eyes and fell into a near immediate slumber.

Dean sat looking through the slitted curtain at the brightening world outside. It was about 7:30am and the morning shift would be changing at any moment, breakfast would be served, and the world would spin happily on. Dean could vividly recall the dream he'd been having and was surprised to hear Sam lightly calling his name.

He turned from the window and looked at his brother who was smiling that same goofy smile he usually reserved for after sex or before his morning coffee. Dean got up from his seat near the window and walked around to the opposite side of the bed.

"Morning." He said softly. "Bobby took the comfy chair and he'll probably be snoring any minute now."

"Umm morning to you too." Dean leaned down and kissed him, glad to have their lives starting with simple pleasures for a change. "I had the most beautiful dream, I hated to wake up."

"You did too huh?"

"What was yours? You and me on a hunt in which we lay down in the woods in the middle of and fuck like bunnies?" Sam asked smiling.

"No actually we were on a beach,"

"In the middle of nowhere particular,"

"and we were just …what the fuck." Dean said.

"Bro, I think it's safe to say we had the same dream." Sam said curiously pondering the situation.

"You think that Cas set it up like that." Dean wondered aloud.

"Wouldn't surprise me any if he did. Oh well, it was still a wonderful dream." Sam said quietly.

"Umm hmm. Maybe that's a hint that we should take some time off and go to the Bahamas." Dean wondered.

"We'd have to fly." Sam said knowing one of Dean's weaknesses.

"We could go by boat."

"Or we could do one of those gay cruises around the Cayman's." Sam offered.

"Now you're talking." Dean said smiling again. "But truth be told I'd be happy to be back at our trailer at Bobby's, at least there we could have some peace and quiet for a while anyways."

"Yeah I know." Sam said somewhat sadly.

"You've both some time off coming up, starting now and lasting however long it takes you." Castiel said stepping into the room proper. He looked over in Bobby's direction, "Good he's resting."

"Yeah please don't wake him." Sam asked. Castiel shook his head.

"He'll sleep through my visit I promise you that. He needs rest as much as you two. I just brought along an associate of mine to introduce to you." He half turned and motioned to the shadows in the doorway, a young man stepped into the light, about 5' tall, sandy blonde hair, eyes of a forest green, skinny with what Sam would call a 'runner's physique' and as beautiful as most men could come at being. He smiled tentatively and waved at them.

"Uh hi, I'm Theodorious, you can call me Theo." He said with a somewhat shy smile.

"This is Theo's first direct interaction with humans but he is an experienced Angel. He will be your houseguest for the next few months while we get this situation with the demon world sorted out."

"I promise to stay out of you guys way." He said self-consciously.

"Uh how old are you Theo?" Sam asked,

"I'll be 984 next month, why? I mean I know I'm just a kid, but I've been trained by the best."

"Just a kid, at 984!" Dean said silently whistling.

"You've got to remember that most angels predate the creation of this world. Some new angels are created occasionally. Theo is one of those few." Castiel explained.

Dean turned fully facing the new angel, "Well step up here into the light so we can see who we're dealing with better."

Theo did as requested and Sam and Dean exchanged looks, then nodded, "A distant cousin." Sam said approvingly.

"Excuse me?" Theo said quietly.

"When you come to stay with us you'll need a cover story, humans and angels don't interact on the same level they did 2000 years ago. " Sam explained.

"Oh gotcha." Theo offered, then looked at Sam and Dean and nodded. "I promise not to get in your way" He said again.

"What makes you think you'll be in the way?" Dean asked curiously.

"Well you two are a couple aren't you?" Theo asked frankly.

"Yes they are Theo, and humans are somewhat sensitive about how that is approached in public as well, listen to them and follow their lead."

"Yes sir." He said reassuringly.

"You remember those talks we've had about how to skirt the truth, well now you get to put them into action." Castiel nodded to them. Just then the door opened to admit the morning nurse to check Sam's vitals.

"Excuse me gentlemen, " She said walking to the bedside. Castiel looked at Sam and Dean and smiled a relieved smile.

"Well, we will be taking off, I'll take Theo down for breakfast then we'll go out to Bobby's to see to getting the trailer set up." Castiel offered. Dean nodded then added.

"Good seeing ya Theo, catch ya later."

"K, Uncle Dean, see ya later Uncle Sam." Everyone in the room who was awake got a snicker out of that last. Castiel promised to explain it over breakfast as they left.

"Well, that's better, we don't mind you having company, we just don't want to hamper your recuperation." She said brightly.

Sam looked at the nurse as she was finishing the checkup and asked plaintively, "Can I have some water for a sponge bath?"

"Sugar, you can get in the shower if you want."

"I want!" Sam said gladly.

"Okay hon, let me get a nurse Rick to stand by in case you need help." The nurse said.

Sam caught her sleeve, and pointed to Dean, if my partner joins me in the shower would that work instead of bothering one of them orderlies?" Sam gave her his best smile with all the dimples.

"Well I suppose that would be all right. But Rick will still be standing by, legal stuff and all that. Let me just get you a shower cap to cover the dressings." She left the room and behind her back Dean held up his hand palm out for a high five.

Bobby stretched in the recliner and blinked owlishly and saw that Sam was sitting up.

"What gives?" Bobby asked.

"I get to shower finally." Sam said smiling at the idea of such a simple pleasure.

"Don't worry I'll be with him." Dean said winking at Bobby.

Bobby just stared at them, "I guess I can go down for another cup of coffee." He said starting to rise from his seat. Dean motioned him to sit back down.

"Look all we're going to do is take a shower together, no hanky panky, hell he's still on such much medication I wonder if his hanky could panky." Dean said wryly.

"Don't give me up yet smartass."

The door to his room opened again and an orderly stepped into the room carrying a shower cap and other shower items.

"Ok let's get you out of that bed." The nurse Rick said helping Sam sit up. "Slow and easy."

"Dude this is the first shower I've had since I been in here, I've had some pretty serious surgery, I ain't gonna run a footrace."

"That's good, because there are a few nurses on this floor that would have a fit if you tried." He said untying the nightie that Sam was wearing. Dean came around the bed and got between the orderly and his brother.

"I'll take it from here thank you." Dean said quietly.

"Ok but I've got to stay in the room at least."

"Good you can keep our uncle entertained, he's looking for the best nightspots on this side of town." Dean said with a conspiratorial wink to Bobby.

In the bathroom Dean helped Sam out of the nightie, then helped him get the shower cap on and his dressings covered. "How're you doing?"

"Dean, I feel fine, I promise I'll let you know if anything is going to happen."

Dean gave him a deep kiss now unencumbered by the bed, "Oh something's going to happen all right." Dean said with a wicked grin. He turned on the hot and cold water adjusting it to a good temperature. Dean stripped off his clothing and then they both stepped into the spray. Sam practically crooned and arched his back slightly as the spray beat down on him. He proceeded to start to lather up but Dean stopped him and gave him another kiss then started lathering him up and down. Sam giggled slightly.

"You know I could get used to this?"

"What being in a hospital?" Dean said.

"Nope being tended literally hand and foot."

"Well don't get too comfortable me lord, we're going to work on getting you up and at em." Dean said firmly, "And speaking of up and at em." He started soaping Sam's penis, stroking it and massaging his balls and lathering the crack of his ass and then back again. Sam got immediately hard.

"No fair, I've not jacked off or anything for thr—three oh shit." With that he came is hard, strong spurts.

It seemed like forever for him to come down from the orgasmic high, he brought Dean up to face level and gave him the most thorough kiss and hug that he was able to.

"We gotta try that a little more often, give you about three days between shooting and see what kind of fun we can have then." Dean grinned. They finished their shower then toweled off each other. Dean got redressed quickly and Sam put on a new gown and then Dean reintroduced him to his hospital room.

The nurse stood, in the middle of a rather animated conversation with Bobby, "Yeah, down on Broker and Hood, there's a real cool country bar. Oh good, well now that you are out of bed and cleaned up how about a walk up and down the hall before breakfast?"

"Sure." Sam agreed.

"Well Bobby did you get some pointers?" Bobby was pocketing a list of clubs that the orderly recommended. "I guess you did. Coming with?"

"Hell yeah, feels like my ass has grown to this seat." Bobby said levering himself up to a standing posture and groaning slightly from having sat so long.

They did walk up and down the hall and tiredly Sam was grateful to see his bed again. He sat on the edge the orderly concerned over his flushed appearance. Sam waved him off. "I'll be fine, that was my first time all the way down and back. I didn't realize how much it would take out of me."

"You'll find your strength will come back in time, just be patient and don't try to rush it. That's what screws up a lot of recoveries, the patients think they can just blow off the advice of their doctors and nurses." He smiled at Sam, "You're doing great. Oh by the way gents our charge nurse went ahead and put in an order for 3 trays for this room today, that way y'all don't have to go down unless you just want to."

"Why is today different?" Dean asked.

The nurse looked at the non-plused, "Well today Sam, you are scheduled for an MRI and a CT scan so the doc can see if his work is holding up or if there is another well to drill."

"Shut up" Sam said playfully.

"Lay down junior, breakfast will be here in a minute." Rick said.

Dean and Bobby laughed at that and Sam complied, actually relieved to be laying back down. The walk had drained him a bit more than he wanted to admit.

"Seriously Bobby did he find some clubs that tweak your trigger?" Dean asked

"A few, mostly Country places, with an old time rock n roll place about a block and a half from the motel, I've got us a prospect list of about 12 places."

"Cool, between you and me we oughta be able to hustle up some bucks pretty quick."

"Hell yeah." Bobby agreed.

"Not gone through that wad Complin gave us have you?" Sam asked concerned.

"No, just getting some extra padding, we're going to need it, even with that timber sale." Bobby noted.

And with that breakfast trays were brought in and the three had eating conversation while plowing through their respective trays.

"Doc what are some of the side effects from Tegretol?" Sam asked his doctor who entered about an hour after breakfast.

"The usual, upset stomach, some liver functions we have to monitor, and possible sexual dysfunctions, but that only happens in like less than 2% of all cases. Why do you ask?"

"This is the first time since I was a kid I've been on prescribed meds. I personally don't like them."

"I understand, really I do." The doctor told Sam, "Plus you're going to have to be careful, we're going to be doing three tests today, an MRI and CT scan to get a picture of your brain, then an EEG to get a picture of your brain patterns right now and to see if you are photosensitive." Dr. Robertson said.

"If I'm what?" Sam asked.

"Some folk who have a seizure disorder can be triggered by flashing lights. We've got to find that out now." Robertson said.

Sam looked at Dean and Bobby, "Well there's nothing for you two to do here, I mean I'll be in and out all day, plus I may possibly have a seizure during the EEG. Why not check some of those places out." Sam said to Dean.

"Bobby can do that, I'm staying put, I don't care if you're in or out, I want to know what the situation is as well as you do." Dean stated firmly.

"Same here, there's plenty of time to check out a few places."

The day progressed slowly for all concerned; they sat around, lazed around, at one point Dean climbed up in the bed with Sam to watch some TV when Bobby went out for a newspaper and some fresh coffee. The orderlies cam and took Sam away for his tests at about 11:45 and that meant that Dean and Bobby had to sit and wait, and wait, and then wait some more. Some time around 4:30 they brought Sam back to the room and quickly transferred him from the wheelchair to the bed. Where as soon as he lay back he was asleep, the doctor came around about 7pm to give them the news from his tests.

"Well there is some good news," Robertson started. "There are no more fluid pockets or bleeding that was evident from the MRI or the CT. The EEG showed me some rhythms that are worth my taking a further look at and he did seize during the strobe part of the test, which is why he's sleeping now, that's part of the seizure pattern. So you need to be educated in the event he has a seizure while you're around. " With that the Doctor sat on the foot of bed facing Bobby and Dean.

"When he seizes or starts to seize, make sure he doesn't fall on anything that can injure him. Once he is down or if this happens in bed, turn him on his side, that will keep his air passage open, the seizure will only last a few moments, if however, he seizes and repeats the process a few moments later or if his seizure lasts more than five minutes, call your emergency services. Also he may void his bladder during a seizure do be prepared to help clean him up, but don't make a big fuss over any of it. The last thing that a seizure patient wants is to be mother henned. They need to be assured of their independence. But reassured that you are there to help them." Robertson stopped and looked at Sam who was blinking slightly as he woke u p.

"That was a bad one doc." He said understating the obvious.

"Actually it wasn't as bad as it feels, you did seize but it was more of an absence seizure than a full grand mal. You did spasm and jerk but mostly you lay there trembling with your eyes shut." The doctor explained. "Your surgery wounds are healing at a very nice rate and we should be able to get you into a simple dressing soon. I understand you had your first shower today, I'm sure that probably felt like heaven. Sponge baths are ok but nothing beats soaping down all over and having the water pounding on you. "

"So how much longer is he going to be in here?" Dean asked the doctor.

"With any luck which you seem to have a disgraceful amount of," He turned to Sam, "You should be able to be released by Friday or Saturday."

"That's only a week away, are you sure about that?" Dean asked.

"He'll heal better away from the hospital for now, I want y'all to stay in town for a few weeks until we are sure which way his health is headed. And I'll want to do another MRI and EEG before I formally dismiss him as a patient. But I highly recommend you get a neurologist lined up as soon as you get home." Dr. Robertson ordered.

Dean and Sam nodded at that. The doctor checked his vitals and then excused himself from the room.

"You didn't ask how soon before I can go hunting, why?" Sam asked Dean.

"Well first I'm not the only one who could do the asking and second, Sam I want you as near 100% as possible."

"Yeah I don't want to hold you back." Sam said morosely. Dean reached out and grabbed Sam's wrist right as Bobby rose.

"Damn it boy, you ain't gonna hold him back, you'll be a danger to yourself out there. What are you going to do if something ends up hunting you and you have one of them seizures? Not a pretty mental picture is it?"

"Sorry Bobby but I can't help but feel a little down right now okay?" Sam said crossly.

Bobby looked at Sam, "I know that son, but you can't let yourself be wrapped up in pity right now. You're alive and that's something."

Sam leaned back against the pillow, "I know and I really am glad to be alive, but I also want to be more than just a fucking mental crip. And you have to face it guys, until I get these seizures under control, that's exactly what I am."

"Bobby why don't you go and check out those clubs, I'll talk with Sam some more okay?" Dean said.

"Sure, it's 8:15 now, I'll be back about 11 or so." Bobby assured them both.

Bobby left feeling down, but determined not to let it show, with that Dean crawled up in the bed and lay down next to his brother, cradling him on his arm.

"You know that was really unfair to Bobby." Dean started.

"Well maybe right now I don't feel like playing fair." Sam returned.

"Talk to me babe." Dean urged.

Huge tears formed in Sam's eyes and he started, he talked and cried for the better part of an hour. Their conversation consisting of Dean's not urging Sam out of his pity, but walking with him through it. Finally Sam curled up against Dean's side and wept.

"You feel better now?" Dean asked as he heard the sniffles and coughs that signified that Sam had got most of the poison out of his mind and system.

"Not really, I've got a pounding headache," Sam said, Dean pressed the call button. "And I've been a shit."

"Only a little one." Dean said smiling down at his brother.

"Yes" the disembodied voice of the nurse came through the speaker over the bed.

"We need something down here for a headache."

"On the way."

"Thanks" Dean said then turned back to Sam. "You've got every right to feel the way you do, but you can't give in to pity, that'll choke you."

Sam sniffed, and wiped his eyes against Dean's shirt. "I owe Bobby an apology."

"Yes you do, but even if he is miffed he understands better than you think the why of what you feel." Dean said quietly.

A soft knock on the door followed by it opening admitted the evening nurse Emily. She came over with a syringe and alcohol swab and as Sam offered his arm she grinned and said, "Fraid not sweetie, I'm afraid this one is a butt shot." Sam grimaced and rolled towards Dean, his hands grabbed up Dean's shirt as the medicine was injected.

"Give that a little bit to work and you should be all right." She said brightly.

"Thanks." Sam replied.

It was about midnight when Bobby returned to see both Sam and Dean together in the bed with Sam asleep on Dean's shoulder. Bobby walked over and sat down as Dean raised the beds head up a bit more so he could look at Bobby.

"Any luck?" Dean asked

"Yeah I separated about two dozen urban cowboys from their money; we're up about three grand." Dean's eyes widened as he gave the figure.

Sam woke slowly and stretched he looked up at Bobby and the first words out of his mouth were "I'm so sorry."

"Huh?" Bobby asked genuinely confused for the moment. He was riding pretty high on a beer buzz Dean could tell.

"About earlier and what I said, you've been great to be down here, and I acted like an ungrateful shit." Sam said looking at him.

"Only a little bit of one." Bobby agreed with a rough smile. "Don't fret over it. You're in pain, you got handed this shit sandwich on a silver platter and you deserve a little pity party. Just don't make it a permanent one."

"Oh hell no." Sam said as Dean pulled him close. "My big brother threatened to whup me like a red-headed step child if I even go there." Sam said with a long Texas drawl.

"Well for what it's worth, that hotel we're in down the road, I went and told them the situation and they are going to let you keep the room you're in for $400 a month with full maid service." Bobby said giving them some relief.

Then Dean looked at Sam and then to Bobby, "You don't mind sharing the room with a couple of incestuous fags?"

"You shut the hell up boy, you ain't too big I can't whip." Bobby said irritated. "Of course I don't mind sharing the room; just leave me a sign when you boys want to play so I don't walk in you. Hell that'd be like you walking in on John and Mary."

Dean grimaced, "BOBBY, you so didn't have to go there."

Then Bobby straightened a little in the chair, "think I may have us a local case to work, and it's paying type of a case. There's a cowboy I met in one bar on Booker that has a haunting going on at his place. It's one of the older Houston homes, he says there's something in the basement and it's attacked him once already. He's willing to pay $1000 to get rid of it."

Dean grinned, "Sounds like a winner."

"Yeah well you got the winning spin in this game of spin the bottle, this guy heard of you through the grapevine, he's somehow kin to those Complin people you helped out."

"Okay." Dean said, "When does he want to meet?"

"Tomorrow, noon, and yes he did give me the address." Bobby grumped, "I ain't entirely senile yet." He said in a near whisper.

"Nah not enough gray hair yet." Dean mentioned then pushed at Sam's shoulder, "Let me up ya damn sasquatch, my arm's falling asleep." Dean said with mock astringency which Sam right through.

Sam did move allowing Dean to extract himself. He stood then and stretched mightily working his arm and shoulder joint.

"Well want to flip to see who stays tonight?" Dean asked.

"You've been at him all day, give him a break." Bobby said quickly.

"Him would like a say in this as well. And yes, Him agrees that Dean oughta get his ass back to the hotel and get some real sleep." Sam said good humouredly.

Dean nodded, gripped Bobby in a hug which he endured, then gave Sam a kiss and was gone.

"I'm waiting till I hear that damn Chevy's muffler in the breeze before I even start talkin." Bobby said.

"You don't think he'd fake leaving do you?"

"Is grass green!" Bobby retorted.

In a moment Bobby sighed, "Son we got to have us a talk. Dean is taking on a lot of cases solo here lately. Has he talked about this with you at all?"

Sam dodged the question slightly, "We've talked some on, mostly what you've already heard, but it's like he says I can't go out until I'm back in fighting trim, and that may not be for a while. So I'm going to be piled up in the house for now. Hey one thing I was thinking about, I read about this the other day, their called Seizure Dogs, dogs that can actually tell when a person's about to have a seizure and warns them so that they can get to a safe place."

Bobby nodded, "You look that information up, we may be looking about one them for you."

Bobby looked at Sam then with a querulous expression. "You don't look like you're sleepy. Hell I figured you'd be sacked out by now."

"Nah, all that sleeping I've been doing must've caught up with me." He reached over on the nightstand taking up the deck of cards. "Cut you for the deal?"

The morning found Dean at a local restaurant finishing his breakfast and watching the incoming cars and trucks for some sign of the vehicle that Bobby described to him in a text message that he found that morning. It seemed like an hour had passed when suddenly the blue and white Chevy pickup pulled into the lot. Dean watched as the man got out of the truck and stood up fully, he was just over six feet tall, broad shouldered and narrow hips, body builder type that set off one bell in Dean's mind. The gentleman came into the restaurant looking around for Dean evidently, finally looking at Dean who nodded, he smiled disarmingly and made his way over to the table ordering a coffee as he sat down. He then turned his attention to Dean.

"Tyler Hooker," He thrust his hand across the table which Dean shook.

"Dean Winters." Was the reply.

"You probably already heard but I live in a pre-civil war era house over in Old Houston, the house takes up basically three lots, it's about the biggest place on the block but it's home, or it was."

"Pardon me for stating the obvious but you don't look like our typical haunted person. Most are either overweight or underfed, obviously a target in other words. Hell I wouldn't stalk you in the day much less the night." Dean noted.

"Well I guess I don't fit the part then, I work six months out of the year on a deep well rig out in the Gulf. I'm just between seasons right now." He explained. "Me and the family moved in that house about a year ago, we noticed stuff happening like strange sounds and stuff like that but we put it off to the house settling. Then the strange stuff started happening. Water faucets turning on on their own, lights switched on in rooms we knew were dark. But the capper came about a month ago when my boy Paul went downstairs to get his football gear out of storage for the season. He was on the bottom step and was flung backwards against the steps. Bruised him up something fearful but didn't stop him from getting his gear and hightailing it out of there." He paused as his coffee was refilled then continued as the waitress was leaving the table. "My little girl Nan tells me she has seen the ghost and describes him as a mean looking old man."

Dean sat through the recital listening politely then he asked, "How soon after you moved in did the strangeness start?"

"Almost three months to the day, that was about the time I built a play house for Nan." Tyler commented. "She used to play in it regular, but I guess it was in November she quit going around it all together and now she won't go near it. She claims the grumpy old man run her off."

Dean thought for a moment and asked, "Do you know if there was anyone ever buried on the property?"

"Yeah there's supposed to be a family plot around there somewhere, but damn if I know where it is." Tyler said exasperated. "So will you take the job or am I just bumping my gums to sound like I'm nuts."

"You're not nuts Tyler, not by a long shot. Just one more question, is there anything else on or near the property where the play house is sitting?" Dean asked.

"No, nope, the rest of the yard right there is cleared."

"Good, first off we're going to put that truck of yours to use moving the play house, next I'll be doing a bit of hole digging, so you got a mattock and shovel?"

"Well yeah, we're nuts about gardening thought we'd put in a flower garden next to the play house, thought that would make it cheerier looking." Tyler said.

"Well first thing, I'll follow you back to your place, second, we need to use the truck to move that play house. I'll show you where later, but the second thing is the main one for right now."

"You picked a good time to go out there, cool of the day and well Nan is in preschool and won't be home for about four hours, Misty, that's my wife is at her job in town and won't be in till six." Tyler noted.

They paid the bill and left with Dean following the old pickup gladly. It took about 45 minutes of negotiating the traffic of Houston's inner city areas to get to the old part of town. The house was everything that Dean was expecting, a traditional one level adobe rancher that seemed to spread out in all directions. The yard was dominated an oak tree in the front and some other native saplings along the side. The back yard was well manicured and Dean saw the small play house with Tyler backing up the truck to it. Dean walked up to the area with a small haversack in one hand and two gallon sized containers of diesel in the other. Tyler got out and hauled a rope from the bed of the pickup and looped it around the house tying it off securely then throwing the other end of the rope around the trailer hitch and tying that off. He got back in the truck and pulled the play house out into the yard away from the area it was setting on and away from that area in general.

"Mattock?" Dean asked, Tyler went towards a small workshop on the other side of the expansive yard to fetch mattock and shovel. Dean knelt down and surveyed the ground like a pro-golfer looking over a putting green. Finally satisfied he took the proffered shovel on Tyler's return and cut into an area of sod some two feet wide by six feet long and scooped the sod out of the way. Then taking the mattock he proceeded to start digging. He knew he was onto something as the ground broke up easily under the swings of the mattock. He was about hip deep in the ground when a window blew out from one side of the house. Dean redoubled his work and started to haul ass.

"Got it on the run, I must be getting close."

"Close to what a coffin."

"Exactly" Dean huffed as he proceeded to throw several more shovels of dirt out of the hole. Suddenly another then another window blew out. Finally at four feet the mattock made a hollow chunking noise. Using the shovel he uncovered the lid of the coffin. He raised up the shovel and was about to bring it down when a clatter caught his attention and the mattock flew from its spot on the ground and nearly took off his scalp.

"Grab it!" Dean ordered. The crashing through the lid of the coffin he reached into his haversack and brought out a container of salt. He quickly worked at throwing as much salt over the remains as he could. Then they heard a scraping sound and looked in time to see the play house breaking the strap and start to move back towards the hole. He quickly took a can of the fuel and popping the top dropped it into the coffin then leapt from the hole just in time to avoid being crushed by the play house.

He took the other can of fuel and started to fling it on the play house then stopped looking at Tyler, "Go ahead, I'll build her a tree house in that sonofabitching oak in the front yard." Dean didn't waste time he drenched the outside then threw the can in the play house and lit it off. The dry wood caught instantly and seemed to burn with a fury. Suddenly Dean and Tyler were being pummeled by some unseen force, it had them on the ground at one point striking hitting them harshly, until at last the timbers of the play house fell in and the heat from the burning pyre about lit off the fuel oil in the coffin, suddenly there was a double blaze going on and as suddenly the pummeling stopped. The play house remains continued to burn away when a van with large animals and such painted on it pulled up in the yard and let off a little girl who came running up to her daddy.

"Daddy why the fire!?" Nan cried out then she looked at her daddy, "Will this stop the scary old man?" She asked plaintively. Tyler nodded. Then pointing to Dean, "Honey this is Dean Winters he's kind of like a doctor about these things."

"You won't give me a shot will ya." She said cringing against her father. Dean knelt to be on her level.

"No sweetie no shot for you but a big one for the scary old man."

"Good." She said decidedly.

Tyler scooped up Nan and motioned to Dean to follow. In the house he shook his head, "Mama's gonna be mad about them windows."

"You'll fix em daddy, you can fix anything." Dean smiled at the hero worship she saw in her eyes for her daddy.

"Well I'd some help with this." He reached into a desk drawer and removed an old trucker's wallet, popped it open and took out a thousand dollars and passed to Dean. "For your work," then considering fished out another five hundred, "for a massage on that back of yours you'll need it after all that digging."

"Thank you Tyler and yeah stick to tree houses."

"Tree houses daddy!?"

Dean made the drive back across town at a tired rate of speed covering the distance in about an hour. His first stop was the motel where he'd proceeded to take a very long and hot shower to wash away the grime, but to soften up tense muscles. He arrived then at the hospital to find Sam and Bobby animatedly watching a football game.

Hearing the door open Sam looked up and threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood shakily but stood all the same and nearly ran over to hug Dean. "God I missed you."

"Missed you more you big lug." Dean said kissing him gently. "Hey treat me with a little gentleness okay, I just finished digging a grave."  
"Took you long enough." Bobby good naturedly grumped.

"Shut up old man, it wasn't you getting pounded on by a poltergeist much less nearly getting cut in half by a moving play house. " Dean gave Bobby a slightly withering look, "I thought you said this would be a simple salt and burn. Bullshit! I opened that grave, nearly got scalped by a flying mattock, nearly cut in two by a moving doll house, beat the shit out of by an angry spirit. I whupped."

"Shit boy, I used to do that when I …"

"Don't finish that sentence if you plan to get any older." Dean warned with mock astringency. Taking out his cell phone he proceeded to dial a number, "Tyler yeah, it's Dean, yeah man, you'll want to get a team out there to exhume the rest of those graves. That'll probably mean digging quite a chunk of the back yard, but exhume them and then get them reburied properly in a marked area on the property. Yeah I hear swimming pools are the in thing right now. Okay bye." He hung up the phone then dialed information and got the number of a nearby Domino's pizza place. "Yeah bring two large pizzas, one veggie and the other supreme to Houston Memorial, room 631. Yeah Dean Winters, 857-555-2143. Thanks. "

"That's the best idea yet," Sam commented as Dean clipped his phone shut.

"Too bad we can't get a six pack up here." Bobby muttered.

"Something tells me the nursing staff would look real dim on me going out and come back with a sixer." Dean mentioned.

"Dean I've been thinking about something important." Sam said sitting down on the bed now. "I've been reading up on these dogs that are supposed to be able to sense when someone who is seizure prone is about to have one. I'd like to get one at least for now, when these things finally go away we'll trade him or her in for a hunting dog." Sam said playfully.

Dean nodded and looked carefully at his brother, "You're sure about this?"

"Look Dean if you're out on a hunt and Bobby's with you there's gotta be someone with me, yeah, this angel dude is going to hang around but wouldn't it make sense to have the extra help just in case?"

"You make a good point." Dean said. "But right now move your butt over I want to sit down. God I feel like we've pulled an all night marathon sex event."  
"TOO MUCH INFORMATION!" Bobby said in a near shout.

"Sorry forgot about your virgin ears." Dean said sniping.

Sam is the one to ask, "Okay so how much are we up?"

"About four grand total."

"Hope you got that in a safe spot." Bobby said smartly.

"2500 in the toybox back at the apartment and 1500 in my pocket. " Dean said with a smile. "Don't worry, the toybox is secure plus it weighs a ton, and the money is hid under a panel in the bottom anyway. But I'm going to get a lock box in town to safe this wad."

Sam nodded and closed his eyes for a moment.

"You all right?" Dean asked as Sam jerked twice and fell against Dean. Bobby took the feet as Dean positioned Sam down on the bed.

Sam cracked his eyes open and looked around, "That sucked."

"Just a little." Dean said, "You going to feel up to eating?"

"Sooner the better." Sam said eagerly, waking back up now.

"Scoot over baby brother and give me some room here." Dean said sitting back down on the bed. Just then there was a soft knock on the door and the smell of fresh pizza. Dean jumped up and went over to the door. Paid the driver and brought back two large cartons plus a six of Coke to sit on the hospital stand. "Okay so it's not beer. It came with the order." They each took a soda then dove into the boxes. Sam ate his with deep apparent relish, savoring every bite, he wasn't a big fan of junk food but in his world Pizza didn't count as junk food.

"Are you done with jobs for right now?" Sam asked plaintively.

"Why you want papa bear to stay home a little more often." Dean said with a grin.

"Not that, it's just well, I'm not there to cover your back and I know we talked about this earlier but I can't help but feel that's wrong." Sam said.

"It's not wrong that you're healing up, you'll be back out with me soon enough, besides I kind of like this idea of doing this for dough, it doesn't suck."

"Doing it for free wasn't too bad either." Sam replied.

"Yeah," Dean started "but free is good for some things, right now I got to build us up a nest egg."

Sam ran his fingers through Dean's hair mussing it some. "Yeah but I don't want you to get burned out. You can burn the candle at both ends, down the middle and up the core. Well most people can't you give a good impression of making that a reality."

"I'll be fine Sam." Dean assured him.

"Really, that's not what I heard." Bobby started.

"Bobby!" Sam said warningly.

"Look it's for his own good, well it is," Bobby said when he noticed the look he got from Sam, "I hear that when Sam was in ICU you had a mini-breakdown. Son you can't work yourself like that, you'll end up like your old man. Drowning your sorrows in a whiskey glass."

"I never had a mini-breakdown." Dean argued.

"Yes you did." Bobby stated.

"You did Dean, I'm sorry but you did and it freaked me out." Sam told his brother.

"Well maybe I was a little upset." Dean said admitting to some of the angst.

"Dean I may not have been fully conscious, but I remember waking up in ICU with you in tears and shaking, you were babbling slightly and seemed to be real jumpy." Sam said morosely.

"I was." Dean said with a twisted grimace.

"Yeah you was." Sam answered.

Dean sat back munching on another slice of pizza looking absently towards the television. He shook his head trying to clarify the memories of when he was with Sam in the ICU and found that he could visualize some of it but nothing really clear. That shook him a little. He found he could remember something about their brother Adam visiting. But there wasn't anything really clear that he could grasp onto. The Dean noticed one major difference in the room, only one of the side rails on the bed was up he looked at Sam carefully.

"Ok, you can slap me down later but aren't both of these rails supposed to be up?" Dean asked.

"They are but you know me, I can't stand to be hemmed in. Anyway I'm scared for you bro even if you aren't scared for yourself. I know we got jobs to work, and yeah, I'm all for hunting down as many creepy crawlies as possible, but dude, don't burn out on me." Sam said his face expanding on the concern he felt. Just then Bobbie's phone went off he clipped it open and listened.

"Yeah, yep this is Bobby, yeah, you got my name from? Okay, sure I can be there…" Bobby stopped and thought deeply, "day after tomorrow if I leave tonight. Sure no problem. Really, all right. I'll see you then."

"You boys may be onto something about doing this for pay as well, just got a call from a family down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana who reports of something stalking their house and the prints don't match up anything like the wildlife in the area." Then Bobby grinned a bit, "Willing to pay $2500 to have me come down and investigate it and get rid of it."

"So you're going?" Dean asked.

"Damn straight I'm going. This is helping us out go ahead and get that lock box set up for tomorrow. We're going to need it at this rate." With that Bobby said his goodbyes and was gone. Dean walked around the bed and sat down in the recliner.

"Dude I'm serious about you pulling so many cases. I don't want you to end up like dad." Sam said concerned.

"Ok, ok, message received loud and clear commander. Now can we get on with another topic please?" Dean said exasperated.

"Sure," Sam said brightly, "I want to adopt a baby."

The next morning was a gray rainy day and was forecast to be that way through the weekend. Dean really looked forward to that still after he woke in the hospital room, he cleaned up a bit and looked back at Sam.

"I'm going to secure our loot, you gonna be okay?" Dean asked.

"Go, I'll be fine." Sam insisted.

"Okay…I'll be back in about an hour or so." With that Dean left the hospital and rode to their motel and opening the toy box took out the cash inside. He then went down a main branch of a Wells Fargo Bank and was seen by a clerk almost immediately.

"I need a safety deposit box please." Dean said to the clerk.

"Well sir we have several sizes, here's a brochure." Dean perused the brochure while the clerk looked on. "Yeah this one." He said pointing to a large box.

The clerk nodded gladly, "Excellent Mr. …"

"Winters, Dean Winters." He presented his identification, patently fake and was signed up for the box. Once in the vault with the box he removed two wads of cash from his coat pockets and placed in the box. Then locking it he left the bank. He couldn't believe how easy that was, now if they could just do that with their real identification versus a scam it would be great. He drove over to Booker and stopped in one of the bars for a bite of breakfast and maybe pickup a game or two. It was extremely early in the day but some people didn't mind parting with their cash in the morning as in the night. He did call the hospital and talked with Sam briefly, Sam asked him to stop by a bookstore and get him something to read. Dean heard the door to the bar open and saw two truckers coming in and smiled disarmingly.

"Gotta go, some pigeons just flew in the coop." He said to Sam in a near whisper. However with all the noise from the highway filtering in, he could have talked at normal conversation range and been fine.

"okay, fleece em gentle like." Sam admonished.

About three hours later Dean entered the hospital room carrying a bag from the local Barnes & Noble's which he sat by Sam in the bed, he gave his brother a fond kiss then sat down with his bag. Sam opened the bag and grinned two of the latest Star Wars novels.

"Did you treat them badly?" Sam asked.

"Made an extra couple of hundred, nothing major, I'm going back down there tonight and see what I can clear up with. So the doc been around?"

"Yeah, he's releasing me in a couple of days. He is happy with my recovery and wants his bed back."

"Excellent." Dean crowed happily. "We'll stay in town a week or so for your to get well enough for a road trip then we'll head back to the yard."

Sam looked at Dean concerned now with the situation he was about to foist on them, "So what about the dog? Do we get one here or when we get back or which?" Sam asked.

"I'd say we look about one when we get home, we'll have more time to play with and can make up our minds about just what we want." Dean said

"You know part of me is fighting this idea." Sam said looking down for a quick moment.

"I know, I ain't gonna say it's for the best, but it'll make me feel safer knowing you've got that much of a warning." Dean looked at Sam now as if he were going to say more when his cell phone rang, he clipped it open. "Hello, yeah, Oh hi Tyler, yeah, six, damn, any trouble? None good, okay yeah, excellent…hello, Tyler? Tyler..? What the fuck?" He clipped his cell phone shut and sprung to his feet, "looks like I'm not done yet with that family with the poltergeist."

On the other side of town he pulled up just as an ambulance was pulling away from the house. Misty was standing out front about to get into her car. Dean pulled up quickly. "What's happened?"

The wife was on the verge of tears but managed to keep some semblance of the present to look at Dean and register his face. "Ty, he was attacked in the house. I'm not sure by what."

"You want me to check it out?" Dean offered.

"Please!" She said getting into her car and pulling out working to catch up to the trauma unit ambulance.

Dean went to the trunk and got out two of his better weapons a pump action 12ga Mossberg shotgun loaded with rock salt rounds and a flask of holy water that he shoved into his pants pocket. In the house he walked carefully from room to room, checking each closet and any possible point of entry, finally ending up in the rear study. He worked his way back to the butler's pantry with the signs of a scuffle were and examined the area carefully. There was a sink in the room, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Suddenly his cell range, clipping it open he answered, "Dean, yeah, okay, good, he wants to talk to me. Sure. Hi Tyler, yeah close call, yeah I'm in the Butler's pantry, yeah, don't turn my back on the sink." With that Dean turned around to see some gelatinous creature rising up about three feet in the air and about to attack. "HOLY SHIT!" Dean yelped dropping his cell phone and jumping back a pace, the creature flopped on the counter, Dean brought up the shotgun and fired a found into the thing. It immediately started to vibrate and howl in some unearthly scream. He fired another round into it and watched as it like a slug when salted started to shrivel and melt. He grabbed up his cell phone from the carpeted floor and noticed he was still connected. "Tyler! Ty! Yeah, yeah" Dean gasped now the adrenalin rush started to diminish. "Oh yeah, it's dead, no problem, I don't think it has a connection with the original problem. But I'm going to set up some protection on your property all the same. Don't sweat it just get better dude. Okay, bye." With that he hung up and started work cleaning the thing into a trash can then wiping down the countertop.

Dean ran out to the Impala and went down the road to a market and bought 5 containers of rock salt the clerk joking about how he must be going to make a LOT of ice cream, then to a hardware store and bought some plumbers putty. He got back to the house and took an old bucket from the mud room and mixed the putty with a good sized double handful of the salt, rolled out a lumpy snake and satisfied started to putty every window in the house. Then he got the door sills taken care of. Next he went outside and in each corner of the property buried a small hex bag, one of over a dozen he'd made up way earlier.

"Doesn't hurt to be prepared Sammy." Dean remembered telling his brother who scoffed.

"Only if you're taking on a Political Action Group."

Dean shrugged the cut away and went on making up the bags.

Now he was glad he did.

There was a pit in the back that was outlined with stakes and warning tape. Dean threw handfuls of salt into the hole spreading it around good. Satisfied that he could do as much as possible without getting too graphic he lastly took two of his devil trap medallions and put one under each mat at the doors. Finally he dialed Tyler's cell number, it rang a couple of times before Misty picked up, she briefed him in on Tyler's condition and noted he would be all right. Dean in turn explained what he had done to the property and warned her of what could happen if any of that was removed. She swore that wouldn't happen, clicking his cell phone shut he proceeded to lock the door and got into his Impala to leave.

Back at the hospital he arrived to find an empty room, "Sam must be out for some more tests." That was when he saw the blood on the pillow. Startled he ran out to the nurses' station.

"My brother, room 631,gone, where?" He realized he sounded disjointed but he felt that way all of the sudden.

"Oh he's in a treatment room around the corner, he had a bad seizure a few minutes ago and ripped open some of his stitches. The doc's patching him up now. He should be out any moment." The nurse advised him.

Dean covered the short distance to the treatment room in a hurry and arrived in time to see Robertson inserting the last suture. The Doctor looked up irritated and then seeing it was Dean motioned him over.

"Had to bring him down here for a few minutes, got that stitch problem situated. Main thing is that I don't want him standing without assistance, or sitting up out of the bed for that matter, this little snag has pushed his release date back about a week."

Dean nearly fell against the doorframe in relief but decided dramatics was not his bag, so he canned that notion.

"Dean that you?" A sleepy voice asked him from the gurney.

"Yeah bro, I'm right here."

"Good, need to reset the trap." Sam muttered. Dean went cold inside and nodded to the doctor.

"Talking out of his head, we had a rat problem in the barn at home, it was him or me having set traps." Dean lied. "Look I'll leave you to it and go around to his room, I don't feel so good myself right now."

With that he hurried back around to Sam's room, got a chair and took his knife rejoining the line in the devil trap. Then quickly moved the chair back to its original position as he heard the orderly and doctor coming back down the hall.

"Get me an IV and a bottle of Dilantin suspension. "

"Sir." The orderly said and turned nearly into the path of a nurse who was coming in carrying the IV bag. "I've got a med cart just outside the door, You want an injection of Dilantin?"

"Yes get me the 400mg strength." With that the nurse was gone all of a minute then she was back in with the loaded syringe."

The doctor already had the IV inserted and running, he then slowly injected the Depakote. He turned to Dean as he made sure the bed rails were up and locked in place. "He's probably going to be out of it the rest of the day."

The week passed by then without much interruption thankfully, Dean continued to poach the bars at night and succeeded in making them about $8,000 richer overall. Their last day there he went in with a lock bag and transferred the money to the bag from the bank and left leaving them the key as well. Sam was loaded up with two large bottles of Tegretol and one large one of Dilantin. He was bitching the whole time about having to be a pill machine.

Finally Dean had had enough, "Shut yer pie hole if all you can do is bitch!" Dean said crossly. "Hell you're finally getting out of the hospital and you're bitching like a spoilt kid."

Sam looked angry for a minute then realized the truth of Dean's words and shook his head, "Sorry, just tired of being a walking martini shaker and pill bottle."

"I know baby brother of mine, but if those pills will keep you as stable as you've been I've no complaints. You ready?" Dean asked. Then pushed the wheelchair out on the exit and told him to sit tight. In moments Sam heard the satisfying sound of the Impala's glass packed muffler and smiled. He couldn't get into the car fast enough and ended up nearly tripping in the process.

"Aw man, for God's sake don't fall, you'll just be back in there." Dean muttered. Once he got the car loaded he drove gladly out of the parking lot for the last time and towards the motel. He walked into the room looking around like he was on an alien world. He'd been cooped up in the hospital for nearly a month and was glad to be rid of that albatross.

He turned to look at Dean who was grinning, and then he fell into Dean's arms, laughing, crying, kissing his brother over and over, in the joy of being free. They lay down together side by side on the bed, kissing and nibbling.

"You intend on catching up on a month of fucking in one night?" Dean asked his overjoyed brother.

Face still wet from tears, Sam grinned at him and with a wicked leer, "I might not be able to catch up on a month, but I intend to put a formidable dent into the arrears.

Dean did the honors of undressing Sam as he himself undressed then they just lay there side by each feeling the touch of skin on skin, being able to do things denied them by the ever present watchful eyes of the nursing staff, with the exception of the blowjobs in the shower and the one time Sam thoroughly plowed Dean's ass in the shower as well.

Their kissing was tender as a new couple, and a hurried as starving men at a feast. Sam took Dean's face in his hands and smiled broadly dimples appearing. "I don't care what we go home to I want you forever."

"If you can handle me, I'm on for that ride." Dean said with a smile as well. With that Dean and Sam moved up on the bed in full, Sam's head resting comfortably on the cushion. They kissed and nibbled some more then Dean moved quickly into a dominant position and pulled up Sam's legs as if he were going to take him immediately, instead he shifted until they were balls to balls, and Sam was treated to the intimate pleasure of being jerked off against the cock of his partner. The feeling along with Dean's calloused hand made for an exquisite pleasure and agony of delight. Sam gasped with intensity of the feeling.

"I don't think I can hold back." He told Dean.

Grinning broadly Dean told Sam, "I don't intend for you too, this first time is to take some of the edge off." With that Sam let out a gasp and convulsed as the orgasm shook him with joy. He was so relieved and grateful he was nearly crying again.

Then Dean scooped up some of Sam's come and slicked his own cock down with the load, then proceeded to place tip to anal ring and press slowly and deliciously. He eased into Sam and then set up a lovely slow liquid rhythm which he knew always set Sammy off. It wasn't long until Sam was pushing down onto him and crooning in delight with the sensations that he was getting, especially as Dean's cock started brushing his love gland as he called it. He yelped and Dean stopped for fear of hurting him but Sam urged him on and Dean plowed on and on until suddenly he gasped in the throes of his first orgasm of the evening, and one he was not going to forget for a long time.

A month had passed now and they were leaving Houston, for which Sam was heartily gladdened to see, he was tired of motel living and longed to be back in familiar surroundings if only for a while until the road called him on the hunt again, his seizure activity was down to maybe one a week, which the doctor praised him for and told him that he was making remarkable recovery.

Sam sat over in the passenger seat permitting the drive to lull him to sleep, it was the dark of night when Dean finally pulled into a motel for the evening.

"We home yet daddy!?" Dean heard Sam mutter from his seat.

"Almost, we'll be there by lunch time tomorrow, for now, let's get you in a room and asleep. Of course Sam had to be rocked to sleep and Dean was more than happy to be the rocking chair. It seemed these days their lovemaking had taken a different twist from their original wham, slam, thank you ma'am and was more tender and romantic. At the same time Sam was hinting at wanting some play time as well. Dean acknowledged that and assured him that playtime would come soon enough. In fact it was his desire to turn one of the three bedrooms in the trailer into their own private dungeon. Which earned him a massive puppy dog eyes and Sam saying, "Promise."

"Definitely."

This night however, Sam was a bit frustrated with Dean. "Dean, I'm not a fragile piece of china about to break, you can get rough with me and I won't mind in fact I'd love for you to get rough with me again. "

"I know Sammy, I guess it's because you look like a marine corp recruit now with a buzz instead of a bald onion, that I feel like I could get away with it. I just want you to be comfortable."

"For Pete's sake fuck me like a whore dog. Abuse and use me!" Sam begged and that night Dean spanked Sam until he cried then fucked his redden ass with utter abandon. It was probably the most intense orgasm Sam had experienced in weeks.

The next day they pulled up into the junk yard to be greeted by an utterly cheerful beyond all abandon Bobby, and even a grinning Castiel, Theo followed close on Castiel's feet looking pleased as well. They all gathered around the kitchen table and had a celebratory welcome home party complete with beer for the non-medicated and non-alcoholic beer for the medicated.

Castiel took Dean and Sam aside that evening for a private chat while Theo helped Bobby clean up the kitchen.

"You're going to need to be a little patient with Theo, he's still curious as to where he's going to fit in with the dynamics of your household."

"HEY THEO! Get yer bony ass in here." Dean hollered. He heard the quick pad running of feet and both he and Bobby were in the door.

"What's wrong?" Bobby shouted, "Sam's okay?"

"Sam's fine we just need to talk with Theo here about him being our houseboy."

"Sounds too kinky for me, I'm going back to the dishes." Bobby said sourly.

"What do you mean 'houseboy'?" Theo asked Dean earnestly.

"First and foremost you can address us by name in private, in public we are Sir with no names given. We won't abuse you, you exist to help us. You'll not be asked to do anything that is against your will but there will be times I'll be gone on hunts, I expect you to keep an eye on Sam for me for now."

Theo nodded quickly.

"Keeping an eye on him doesn't mean following him around with a cushion to prop on." Dean said.

"Oh that sounds like fun." Sam said quietly.

"Get over it." Dean said with a smile.

"Next are you a sexual creature in any manner, shape, or form." Dean asked Theo.

"I can be whatever you need Sir." Theo answered properly.

Dean smiled, "Well we're off to a good start. First off you'll not be abused unless that is a specific kink of yours, you'll not be required to do anything other than service our needs. If that means sexual you better decide now just how far you're willing to go or we will assume you are open territory."

"Dean." Castiel said warningly.

"No Cas, if he's going to be our houseboy, he's got to know the dynamics of what's expected. Castiel sat back gritting his teeth in wonder of what the boy would answer.

"Sir, I'm here to protect and serve you in any capacity, and yes, in heaven I happen to like men. So what you are requesting is not out of line sir."

"Excellent. You may go back to helping Bobby for now."

"Thank you sir."

"You're welcome Theo."

Once out of the room Dean turned to Castiel and told him in quiet tones. "I realize he is not a slave, but in a household like we're going to set up there have to be parameters set to keep the dynamics straight if you get my meaning. We will NOT abuse him nor will we be making light of his status as an angel. Is that agreeable?"

Castiel sighed and said to them, "I'll clear it with control but I don't foresee any problems. By the way, Sam it is good to see you looking as healthy as you do, especially under his care." Then he warned them, "Under no circumstances summon Crowley, he may be a useful demon from time to time but rest assured he is keeping markers in place for when he wants a favor done and he will come to try to collect."

"After what happened with that fricking Colt when we faced down Lucifer on that hillside, there's no love lost between us, and I trust him as far as I could throw him. But no we'll not summon him again unless the need is too great or such that his help would be the make or break in a case."

"Another by the way, the trailer has been taken care of, sigils are embedded into the walls, and all the windows and doors are salt puttied thanks to Bobby and myself. The roofing job you did Sam is holding quite well and I went around and added a little extra security to the place. Finally, I have a bedroom set up in the center of the trailer for Theo, he's been staying up here at the house, but I dare say that now you have him anxious to work for you."

"Why?" Dean asked, "Why would he be anxious to work for us.

"He working his way out of a disgraced state. He's quite well along in his rehabilitation he just needs the proper guidance, hopefully your rigid structure you looking at imposing will return his full grace to him."

Sam rose from the chair, "Well if you boys don't mind I'm going to go stretch out on that sofa in the front of the house, I'm tired and yes Dean I've been a good boy and taken my meds."

"Okay." Dean said as Sammy rose from his chair he bent down as he walked by and playfully nipped at Dean's earlobe. "You slut."

"Whore." Sam retorted.

Dean sat there for a long moment and looked out the window into the junk yard. "So how long do you think before some of the demons will make a try on this place?"

"They'll try but not be too successful , I've wards and guardings posted all around the property that will prevent a demon from crossing the line." Castiel said.

Dean shook his head in wonder, "You know I'm grateful for all the care y'all are taking."

"Yes."

"And I'm proud that you're still hanging around us even after all the fuck ups we've pulled.

"Yes."

"But I'm yet to see our importance in the scheme of things now. We save y'alls bacon by putting Lucifer back in the pit."

"Something that Gabriel's spirit is intensely relieved that you did. He was sorry that he couldn't be of more help. But even his path was convoluted."

"You said his spirit," Dean started. Then he leaned forward slightly. "You're talking like he's still around."

"God works in mysterious ways. He has restored Gabriel's presence in heaven, and has him on rehabilitative leave as well. You might be relieved to know that he is punishing Zachariah for too stringently attempting to follow orders." Castiel explained.

Dean sat back unsure exactly how to take that news, he was glad that his part in that tale was over and done with but there was something a little unsettling about the way and ease in which he was able to off Zachariah. Then his thoughts drifted to Adam.

"What about Adam will he still be Michael's vessel?" Dean asked concerned.

"Yes and he is now actually good with that. There was no coercion just a gentle impulse to help him see how strong his place would be and how important he could effectively be and that he would serve a greater good by being Michaels, 'meat suit'."

"Hey sorry about that, but well." Dean said by way of apology.

"No need to apologize, it's true, we take on the bodies of mortals so that our presence will not destroy the mortals who cannot see our true forms or hear our true voices." With that he heard a high pitched sound from the doorway, at first it was displeasing and even a touch painful then suddenly Dean understood what was being said and the words struck him speechless. The painful shrieking was replaced by an almost string of harmonics. He said there suddenly in tears from the revelation as Theo standing in the doorway was talking to him in angel speak. Dean sat there enraptured for a moment then another softer voice broke into the harmonics, with his own set, Dean fell out of his seat not in pain but in utter shock. Then the sounds faded and finally stopped.

"You are one of the thirteen." Castiel said with a genuine smile of relief. You see we aren't inept and dangerous, well most of us aren't. But at the same time do not take us for less than what we are.

Through his tears of gratitude Dean just nodded and got back into his seat.

"Now let us speak of the future." Castiel said smiling.

A year had passed now, Sam was recovered to the point that his seizure activity was down to about 1 every two weeks, he was back out on the road with Dean and very glad of that, mostly he was secretly thrilled at the prospects that greeted him every day. Theo was fitting into their household quite well to the point that he was able to join them on hunts to not only keep an eye on Sam, but provide them with a great backup resource should they require one. And better yet, in Dean's opinion their sexual dynamics were exploding in leaps and bounds. They'd experienced all kinds of sexual play and experimentation, and Theo was overjoyed to be in a male body was Angels were basically androgynous and sexless. But Theo relished the sexual play. He was especially recalling the other night when they'd had him suspended on a superman rig of hooks and chain, with the hooks penetrating skin in various way to keep him suspended horizontally several feet above the floor. He was enamored by the pain side of the play and was up for anything, Sam especially remembered the sounds that he made while Dean gave him a blow job and Sam rimmed him while he was in the superman rig. The orgasm he had was mindboggling for him and after they got him off the rigging and bandaged up he was still game for more sexual play, so Dean proceeded to straddle him while he lay on his back in delirious thrills from the pain of having his bandaged wounds flattened on the carpet, and he gasped as Dean lowered himself onto his very erect circumcised cock.

"Oh my eyes Dean, oh you and Sam are so beautiful, you could be angels yourselves." He said in the midst of the fucking marathon. Dean proceeded to ride him like a prize stallion while Sam squatted over his face and while Dean sucked his brother off, Theo was busy rimming Sam. The united pleasures soon gave way to more orgasms and Theo was still ready for more. This time after they all took a break, it was Sam who'd take the lead and fucked Theo soundly pounding into his ass while Dean pounded into Sam's, the daisy chain or sandwich effect pleased them all and soon they succumbed to a final orgasm for the evening. Gratified Sam bent down and like a baby picked up Theo who was dozing slightly now in the post sexual thrill and lay him on his bed, both Sam and Dean giving him good night kisses. Then they adjourned to their chamber where they immediately collapsed into a wonderful languorous slumber.

It was late that next day that they all awoke and even Bobby looked brighter and chippier. Sam was the first to notice over breakfast. "Bobby did you sneak some chick in here last night and do the nasty?" Dean asked.

"Nope don't know what it was but man last night was the best sleep I've had in ages. And the best hand job as well."

"Aw man, TMI." Sam groaned. "The dredges up mental images that are damaging."

"Aw shut up, how the hell do you think you were conceived?" Bobby said smartly.

"I prefer to think of divine intervention that trying to get a mental image of dad and mom screwing. That's just wrong on so many levels." Sam said and Dean had to agree.

Theo put it into perspective. "Our sex play last night must've caused me to leak some of my grace around, maybe through all this I'm going to get my full grace back." He said his eyes shining hopefully.

"You never did say what caused you to lose your grace in the first place." Dean said quietly.

"Nope, it's quite embarrassing. But well, oh hell, I was one of the angels in charge of guarding the pit, the trap that Lucifer's kept in, and well I was off taking a bit of private time."

"Private time."  
"Hey it was only one joint!" He cried " I mean one fricking joint and I got busted."

Dean looked at him with renewed respect, "You mean you have wacky baccy in heaven!" He said his eyes widen and grin threatening to split his face, Sam and Bobby weren't much better as they dissolved into laughter.

"Well it's not that funny." Theo said slightly hurt.

"No, ahem" Dean cleared his throat, "No it's not, but then again it is." He pounded the table top, "Zachariah gets a second chance to peg me down for Michael's vessel and then I off him he gets a stiff sentence of no rejuvenation for a while, and you get your grace pulled for smoking a fucking joint."

Theo thought about it and then snickered slightly and quickly broke down in a giggling fit of his own.

Bobby picked up the thread of the conversation and started it off rolling, well I got that timber sold, which is a hell of a note in this economy. But 15 acres get's us quite a tidy sum. He showed the check around and there was suitable notation of the zeros before the decimal point. "Most of it was hardwood, going to a furniture mill."

"So Theo, you've been with us a year now, how do you feel about things?" Sam asked.

"I like them just the way they are sir."

"That's a good thing, because the board is reviewing your case right now, and you know how long they take to deliberate on a sentence. You may be down here for a while." Castiel said coming into the room.

"Well he's been real helpful on hunts, and he's fine around the house, you can give him a thumbs up from us." Dean said looking at Castiel.

"Thank you that will go some distance actually." Castiel said, "Where to now?"

"Florida, down in the gulf, there seems to be a linkage to some strange deaths and a leather club down in Panama City. We're going to the assumption that we are dealing with a Vampire nest." Sam said.

"Sam does the hunger ever come back?" Castiel asked.

"Sometimes, hey I'll be the first to admit I can do some awesome things with that power it's just how got it concerns me. But really strange is that since having Theo around, I'm having no cravings at all." Sam said looking fondly at their cherub.

"Thank you sir." Theo responded in a small voice. "Part of that is the exchanges we've had."

Sam shook his head, "Ok colour me clueless, what exchanges?"  
"Seminal, it's a strong source of proteins true, but it also carries some Angelic power as well." Theo said shyly.

"You've been sharing body fluids like that?" Castiel said wonderingly and somewhat sternly. "That's dangerous at best, it's okay in the short run can be, can be mark you, dangerous in the long run." Castiel looked at the gathered men sorrowfully, "You can develop an affinity a liking to this and it ultimately can lead to addiction, there is a way to combat this, do not take his semen orally."

"What about anally." Sam said and Bobby started to get up.

"Gotta go put some coffee on." Bobby said rising until Dean reached out and grabbed his forearm and gave him the 'it's going to be all right' look.

"That's actually safe strangely enough."

"Face it Sam, the demon world would love nothing better than to get you hooked through the bag on their blood again." Castiel pointed to Theo, "This would be your only salvation, his blood is pure enough to counter the demonic. But a few drops are needed not a whole gulp." Castiel advised. "And I cannot stress how strongly you keep that information to yourselves."

"Gotcha" Dean noted then commented, "We going to have to drink some beer, to fit in with the crowd, how will that effect you Theo? I mean we've seen you drink nothing stronger than cola while you've been with us."

"Well considering I'm supposed to represent a teenager who is barely legal age, and whose masters have ordered to keep sober, I should be safe, if I have to drink any it could get messy."

"How messy?" Dean asked worriedly.

"My energy could whip out at anything and anyone. If they are good origin and nature no problem, if they are evil in nature, it will be like a physical blow."

Dean momentarily widened his eyes. "Okay, you a walking time bomb when you get a little toasted.

That can work to our advantage."

Castiel sighed, "Perhaps I better go with you on this one just in case."

"Forget it Cas." Sam said surprising them all. "You'd stand out like a virgin in a whorehouse."

Theo raised his hand for recognition, "Yes Theo," Cas said tiredly, "Unfortunately I have to agree with them sir, this is a leather bar, something your living host has probably never had experience in and have you?" Theo asked frankly.

"The orgies of Ancient Greece are the only thing that comes close to mind." Castiel said tiredly. "Ok as much as I disagree with this, I have to say that your way appears to be the better plan."

"Cas this is in and out, burn two vampires and we're done with it. I promise." Dean said giving Cas the lowdown on the situation.

"Very well, do this thing and do it quickly." Castiel said with finality.

"Sir there is one way that we can assure a victory, that's if Sam and I bond. My blood will be sufficient to overcome the demon blood in his veins, he will have the same purging powers but they will come from the power of God, not the blood of Satan, so long as he believes in God, truly believes, he'll be fine."

"You know that's forbidden to even speak of much less suggest doing." Castiel said tiredly, "The last time that happened the world was almost destroyed when an angel thought he could overcome the power of a madman. Hitler won quite a victory before he was defeated."

All three of the humans were pop-eyed at that little fact. He looked at Sam and then back to Theo. He sighed heavily.

"I'm loathe to admit it but it would help just in case you were cornered by demons." Castiel said tiredly. "Very well, let's do this in the living room Sam will need somewhere to relax while the transformation occurs." Castiel ushered them all into the living room and sat Theo and Sam down on the couch. "Sam, I cannot lie to you this will be traumatic so prepare your will." He looked to Dean and held out his hand, Dean instinctively knew what he was wanting and slapped the demon knife in his palm.

"Before God and His holy host, before time and earth was, angels have been, now let this bond between angel and human proposed be of the beneficence we seek. Through Christ our Lord, God our Father, and the blessed Holy Spirit I pray, amen. Imunicus asced transet eo a ab neva. " Then he quickly slash both men's forearms and as quickly dropped the knife and placed one arm over the other, cut to cut, blood to blood. Gripping them tightly, his hands glowed momentarily. Sam's eyes rolled back in his head and he fell back against the sofa back at first he was simply lying there unconscious then he began to tremble and to convulse. Castiel held them fast, amazingly enough no blood dripping off their arms from the wounds.

"This is not a seizure in the case of his epilepsy, but this is something more and stronger, you asked for this God help you but the Father approves the bonding." With that he released their arms the wounds on each oozed blood for a moment then closed the skin as new with no sign of any change. Yet with Sam there was an appearance of change, a serenity that wasn't there before. Castiel bent down and lifted Theo cradling him much like Sam did after the playing and carried him over to the other sofa. He laid him out on the then Castiel's eyes narrowed slightly as he lay Theo down. Dean had straightened Sam out on the couch when Castiel grabbed Dean's arm in a no-nonsense grip and hauled him back to the dining room.

"Tell me that what I sensed on his back was just a figment of my imagination, tell me that and I might believe you."

Dean and Bobby shared a look and Dean shook his head, "what you felt is there, he wanted to be hooked and suspended the other night so we used what's called a superman rigging. There are hooks in the calf, thigh, butt, back, and arms. You are suspended with your arms out like this." Dean demonstrated.

"Holy mother!" Castiel breathed, "And he was good with this." Castiel was genuinely angry now.

"Yeah what's the big deal, it's basic play."

"You fools, you immolated the crucifixion, he will get his grace back in time, but he is stranded on earth until such time as God himself permits him to return. No angel endures what the son of man endures willingly, to do so is to make a mockery of the greatest sacrifice." Castiel sighed.

"You better hope he has a real good explanation for this when he wakes otherwise you may be getting a visit from Michael, Joshua, and Raphael." Suddenly an enveloping light surrounded Castiel for a moment. "Yes Father, yes sir I understand. No, no recriminations. Abba Amen." The glow faded.  
"Well you have the luck of the Devil as some would say,"

"What are you on about now." Bobby said stridently and angry. "First you come in here all cheery joy now you're threatening to bring a trio of angels in here to judge a boy whose only crime was to get hisself in the middle of some serious sexplay."

"Be at peace Bobby." Castiel said his demeanor changed, "Our Father, just related to me that what has happened was done for a good cause and not in mockery. I'll still have to question Theo when he wakes but no, no punishments will be levied, your home will not be invaded as you are thinking."

It was actually a good hour later that both Sam and Theo awoke, they looked at one another then got up and hugged. Then they joined the party back at the table.

"You feeling okay son?" Bobby asked Sam.

"Feel great, like I've run ten miles and had a full night's sleep." Sam replied

"What about you Theo, you okay boy?" Bobby asked.

"Yes sir, I feel changed somehow, different." He said with an almost bewildered look.

Castiel looked at Theo hard, "Did you willingly submit to the piercing of your flesh last night?"

"Yes sir." Theo said guardedly.

"Did you realize just how you were being suspended." Castiel asked.

"Not really, just that it felt wonderful, the pain felt like deliverance and I felt like God himself were smiling upon me. I know that's a weird thing to be thinking during something like that, but there it is." Theo answered,

"I repeat did you realize just how you were being suspended." Castiel said harshly.

Theo backed up in his chair.

"Cas lay off." Dean started to say when a sharp gaze from Castiel shut him up effectively.

Then the import of what was actually being said hit home to Theo and he broke down in sobs. "Oh Father forgive me, I didn't mean that, not that!" Sam rushed around the table and took Theo in his arms holding his shaking form. The sobs were tremendous and the boy's body was vibrating with the expression of grief. He turned a tear soaked face to Castiel, "I'm truly sorry, I never meant to mock anything."

"You are in luck the Father in His love has forgiven you this time. If you want to do that in future just avoid having your arms pierced okay." Castiel said disgustedly.

Still sobbing, Theo replied his head bobbing then looking with repentance at the ground, "I will I swear to you I will." With that Theo knelt and took Castiel's shoed foot but Castiel pulled back.

"That is not necessary, only that you acknowledge your guilt in this and your willing repentance."

"I do so repent of my sin and acknowledge whatever punishment the Father has in store."

"His punishment is that you remain on this world solely for one score of years. You will be bound to this form which will mature as you remain here."

"Thank you, thank you." Theo repeated.

"Castiel," Dean said formally, "I am not at all comfortable with this shit. Just what the hell was all that about, he committed what amounts to a sin, he is forgiven, but in the process he is put through a third degree! Is this really the Lord's way to handle situations like this."

Castiel looked up sharply at Dean, "Theo is fortunate, very fortunate indeed, he could have been cast out of heaven all together and made mortal. Get up boy, and clean yourself up you and we have a lot of planning to do."

"But you're not coming." Dean remonstrated.

"Like hell." Castiel remarked solidly. "I'm not as naïve as you seem to think, I understand more of this worlds customs than you can imagine. As a result I know what I can and cannot do. And one thing that is acceptable at a leather bar is the owner, either dressed out in leathers or in a black suit." Suddenly the natty overcoat and open necked shirt transformed into a smart black business suit and white shirt with a black silk tie. On his hand was a gold ring with a stone of fair size. "I think that we can now safely say that I can penetrate their lair as well."

Dean, Sam and Bobby sat back speechless finally Bobby spoke up.

"Excuse me for asking, but this is my house and my table, and you used my living room for a ritual that I got no idea of what you were talking about. You see I'm just a simple country bumpkin, ignorant you might say, but I wanna know this. Are the boys going to be running into just vampires or are they being tracked by demons?"

Castiel sighed and started to answer when Sam stepped into the conversation. "I think that it's safe to say that we will be followed down or there will be some reconnoitering done with our being down there, if we're not faced down by at least 4 demons, I'll be very very surprised."

"Well right now what we need is some lunch and I ain't got a damn thing cooked, so let's go into town and get something to eat." Bobby said with finality his brow still angry towards Castiel. Dean, Sam and Theo rose from the table, "Okay, let's go get into some cleaner duds." Dean said swiftly

"Okay sir, that sounds good to me." He acknowledged.

Outside the house as they walked towards the trailer, Theo strode solemnly looking down at his feet seeming to be trudging along. In the trailer Sam and Dean rounded on Theo, "You got no blame in this, we didn't know, and you were too wrapped up to think about that. We're all equally guilty in this."

"You are indeed." Said a melodious voice from the hallway, they whirled and faced Joshua who was walking into the living room carrying a basket of live plants. "I always said every home should have at least one live plant in it. Here you go boys." He said offering the huge pot to Sam and Dean.

"Uh thanks." Dean said finally. "If we are all guilty then we all deserve punishment."

"Yes. You do. What you did was an affront to God and His son, and yes such imitations do not go over lightly. But I convinced the Father that it wasn't truly immolation of His son as only your skin was pierced not the flesh and bone. It was still a crucifixion, painful to watch yes, but the joy on your face, transcended the pain we knew you felt. You are incredibly lucky young man. And yes God has determined that you two shall be punished for your assistance in this deed. You shall have the watching and care of him for a decade. After which time should he choose to remain it will be his choice and no one else's." Joshua said with finality.

"Now go and enjoy yourselves for the day, you deserve that much before walking into this den of depravity. " With that Joshua was simply gone. All three were gaping slightly as the empty space where the confidant of God had stood. Dean shook his head, then looked around the room blinking.

"Okay let's get changed and get back up to the house before Castiel comes down here looking for us."

Dean ordered.

They were changed quickly but not before both Castiel and Bobby came looking for them. They met half way and then walked back towards the trailer, "We'll take my car there's enough room in it for all of us." Dean said compliantly.

"We could take that hearse I got up and running after that little show earlier it sort of fits." Bobby said teasing Dean.

"Just get in the damn car." He muttered. They were soon on their way to a decent restaurant.

At the Harvest Moon Café in the downtown district they sat around a quiet corner table with plenty to eat and grateful stomachs to fill. Theo was sitting between Castiel and Sam. He looked up to Castiel, "Sir Joshua paid us a visitation."

"When?" Castiel asked curiously.

"Just before we met you coming towards the trailer." Theo answered.

"And he said…" Castiel prompted

"That what we did was a sin but God forgave it as it was not a true piercing of flesh and bone, I'm sentenced as you say, but Sam and Dean are also sentenced to be my watcher and guardian for a decade." Theo said with some finality.

Castiel nodded and looked at him for a moment then at Sam and Dean. "And how do you two feel about this?"

"If he's going to stay with us he either stays behind at the house when we are on the road or he backs us up on road trips. That simple." Dean said stiffly.

"We want his willing participation not something coerced." Sam added. "Do you want to come with us, do you want us to basically be your masters."

"Please sir." Theo answered his eyes shining.

"That's good enough for me." Sam said.

"Fine by me." Dean muttered in agreement.

"Well it's got a burr in my butt with me. " Bobby said, "They're going to have to be responsible for him what happens if they get in a situation they can't get out of."

"I can use what grace I have in me sir, to extricate us." Theo said plainly.

"Okay works for me too." Bobby said agreeing to the move.

"We leave out as soon as we are finished here, we'll stop by Bobby's to let you out, don't argue Bobby we need your help back here to cross reference some information, it's going to sound crazy but cross reference and pinpoint changes in weather patterns."

"Weather patterns?"

"Yes, demons often have the affect of causing a weather pattern to shift and change erratically." Castiel explained.

"You have the car already packed I assume?"

"Of course, all our gear and clothing is in the trunk." Sam said, "Saw to that this morning."

"Good" Castiel concurred. "Well all we like is a safe trip south."

They finished their meal in relative silence, then paid and left the diner, at Bobby's house the left Bobby and immediately went to gas up and hit the highway.

"We drive in shifts, me first, then Sam, then you Castiel, Theo can you handle a car?"

"No sir, the only thing I've ever drive was a chariot."

"Understood." Dean said. We sleep in the car, the only time we stop is for piss breaks and to gas up." Dean looked in the rear view mirror and saw the look of adventure in Theo's eyes, ageless though they were, they still looked young. "You good with that sport?"

"Yes sir." Came the reply

"Good, you're going to have to be. This is a hard life, the breaks between hunts vary in length, how you feel after the hunt is dependent on whether it was a success or not."

"And don't listen solely to Dean, " Sam said, "this life is hard, but it hardens you up it will make you more effective when your punishment is over. I ain't no drill sergeant but I'll tell you right now, it gets in your blood after a while and you are part of the hunt, you feel the hunt, and you taste the hunt."

The talk centered around what they were likely to find, what to do and how to react, they were given strict orders by Castiel as to what they absolutely needed to do provided they were attacked by demons as well as vampires. And they were told of what the vampires held in their possession that would be an added bonus if they could retrieve. It was an arcane book of knowledge, written by someone unknown much like the Necronomicon was reputed to have been original written on parchment made of human skin, this book truly was, it was to be retrieved to be destroyed immediately. It was early in the evening of the second day on the road that they pulled into Panama City, Florida. Dean found a semi-reputable motel and got a room with two queen sized beds for them. Once in the room they changed into their leather gear with Dean wearing a Leather pair of shorts, vest, belt, arm band knee high shitkicker boots with his demon knife tucked into the slip siding of the right boot. Sam was dressed out in a leather jock, chaps, boots, and vest. Theo merely used the illusionary trick to change his clothing to leather shorts, white shirt, and collar with leash. Castiel was dressed in the conservative black suit and white shirt with silk tie. When it got around nine o'clock or so they piled into the Impala and went to this leather club. Castiel went in first followed by Sam and Dean pacing him, with Theo in tow looking like merely an afterthought. Unbeknownst to the denizens of the bar who were bent on straight up evil, not those there for rough play, the afterthought, and main attraction were the two singularly most powerful of the group, with Sam coming in a REAL close second place.

They circulated with Sam being dismissed with Theo to the bar and Dean accompanying Castiel as he circulated aloof and distant, setting some to muttering and some to preening. Finally he got back to the bar he ordered drinks for them all. It was then that no so much trouble but interest was generated. There was plenty of sex play going on around the club, some were being whipped, some paddled, there was an X cross for flogging, tables with sterilized instruments for blood sport and even a set of hanging hooks for a simple vertical hanging. Theo eyes the hooks hungrily and Sam jerked the collar once drawing his attention back to them.

"Down boy." Sam said quietly.

"Yes sir." The 'boy' said equally quiet. The bartender nodded approvingly.

"So you here on a business trip or what?" The bartender asked Castiel, "I'm here to merely be entertained. He waved at Dean, Sam and Theo, "If you are through with your drinks you may play for a while."

"Thank you master." Dean and Sam said in unison. Castiel turned his attention back to the bartender, "You have some folk who've been giving you trouble yes?"

"Nah, most of the regulars are good folk."

"I'm not referring to regulars I'm referring to new blood, in fact they may have an affinity for blood sport." Castiel said his eyes narrowing, the bartender 'accidently' dropped the towel and came back up with a large bowie knife pointed at Castiel. Immediately Sam and Dean tore away from the cross that Sam was wanting to try out and were as immediately back to the bar knives out Dean launching across the bar to put the edge to the man's throat.

"You better have a real good reason for threatening our Master." The bartender opened his knife hand and dropped the blade, Castiel picked it up looking at it plainly interested now, and noting that the bar has pretty much gone silent at least close up to the bar.

"He was asking questions about my patrons, they got a right to come here same as anyone else."

"I agree, but do they have the right to threaten your other patrons?"

"They never." The bartender started.

"Do not lie to me. You will not be pleased with what I do to liars." Castiel said coldly. "These other patrons are perhaps different in more ways than one?"

"Yeah they like bloodsport, lot of folk do we don't have a problem with that, our only problem is sometime their play partners seem unwilling or they leave his stumbling. That's nothing unusual but with bloodsport it usually means too much was taken." Faced with the ominous quartet the bartender became an information factory.

"And they are here right now aren't they?" With that the quartet whirled to face three beings advancing from the side, while one blatantly was crawling along the ceiling rails. "Oh you naughty boys and girls really should back up and play nice. It'll go much easier on you that way."

"I don't think so" the leader evidently, a woman in what appeared to be middle years wearing a full length gown of black silk, with a leather corset said.

One of them leapt at Dean fangs bared Dean quickly sliced through its throat and it immediate turned to ash. Another came for Theo, easy prey he was evidently thinking when Theo was grabbed around his neck by this guy and was about to become lunch, Theo's eyes turned golden, then glowed with an inner light and the power lanced through the being rendering it to dust. The woman halted her advance as did the man on the ceiling who dropped to stand by his mistress.

"You have something we desire to have the world rid of and I sense it close in fact it's on you isn't it milady?" Castiel said sarcasm dripping from his tone.

"I know what you want and you may have it for a price. With that the last male leapt at Sam who raised his hand as he would have if he'd charged up on demon blood. Instead with the soul bonding, the being was frozen in mid leap and convulsed and burst into a pile of ash. By now several patrons have beat a hasty retreat out of the place, not looking back not trying to attract the attention of any local cop, just wanting to put some distance between them and this group of really strange people.

The woman hissed and pulled the book from a fold in her dress and let it fall on the floor. Sam focused on it and found that he had to strain, Theo took his arm in his hand and suddenly the book burst into flame. Sam turned around as if seeing Theo for the first time and locked lips in a kiss of gratitude. The woman hissed again baring fangs. "I've lived three centuries and out witted more clever hunters than you'll ever be, with that she made a throwing motion to her feet a cloud of smoke appeared and she was gone.

They turned back to the bartender and nodded that they would like their drinks now. He served them up on the house, thankful that may be now his customers would come back in droves. "Don't worry about your customers, right about now they are forgetting that anything at all unusual happened. They are all patting themselves on the various body parts in preparation for some home playing. "Castiel said.

"Just what the hell are you?"

"They're angels of course, at least two of them are and one has some angelic talent, too bad they won't live to waste another minute here. Dean turned and prepared his knife there were at least a dozen patrons who were forming a semi-circle around them their eyes solid black and soulless, the demonic presence taking full control.

Sam looked at Castiel, "May I act master?"

"By all means, show gentlemen let us show this scum what they are dealing with." With that, jets of light shot from Castiel and Theo's eyes, Sam held up his hand and merest concentration exorcised the demon presence. As did the angelic light, from Castiel and Theo. Dean in the meantime used his knife as a defensive measure in light of where they were. Twice he slashed at Demons to score on their cheek or arms. Finally at one point they called a halt when the exorcised people were waking, the cut people had been exorcised and now were being medically attended to thanks to the ample supplies from behind the bar. The bartender took in the devastation and looked back at the quartet.

"You were never here and these people just wandered in off the street." He said respectfully. They quickly left the scene just over 2 hours from arrival and made their way back to the motel. Sam limped into the motel with Dean on his six looking worried.

"You okay bro?" Dean asked with deep concern.

"Just tired of my body telling me that I'm still healing, I want to be 100% is that asking too much." Sam said with frustrated anger.

"Sam you have to expect bouts of exhaustion now and then, you were barely healed when you got dismissed from the hospital, then you wanted to get back into the field which we managed to delay a few months, now you're complaining you're not 100% when you just finished taking on over a dozen demons with us." Castiel pointed out kindly.

"I'm not being ungrateful Cas, this was the field test for the angel power and yeah it works pretty much the same as that demonic energy I was channeling but it left me feeling wasted."

"Sam, what can I say, you used this power before being completely in tune with the energy. You still have much to learn about this and you will." Castiel noted to Sam as they took seats on the beds.

"Sir may I speak." Theo said addressing Sam. Sam nodded and then leaned back against the headboard. "You are new to this, bonding is something that is not often done, this was an extra special case. I can at least do this for you." Theo said his face betraying his concern. He reached over and took Sam's hands in his and closed his eyes momentarily. Sam shivered from head to toe. Then he sat up slightly cupping Theo's face in a hand.

"Thank you little brother." Sam said kindly. Dean looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "He's earned it Dean."

Dean thought for a moment and nodded. "Well if you're going to be part of this family there's a few things you need to learn mainly about how to deal with demons, yeah I know you're an angel and all that, but we deal with them a little differently sometimes."

"You kill them." Theo said flatly, "Ok I can understand that in the case of where your life is threatened to the same level as what you return you've got that prerogative, but forgive me if I attempt to exorcise the demon first.

"I guess I'm good with that." Dean responded. "Just make sure you don't get between me and a target okay?"

"Sure sir." Theo said then turned to Dean, "Sir would it be appropriate to drop the sir sometimes with every statement."

"When we are in private you may cut back on saying Sir with every statement just when you have a direct question, In public you are to behave just like you did today." Sam said at about the same time Dean was going to mention about the same thing.

"What he said." Dean quipped.

"Yes sirs." Theo quipped back.

The night passed without further event, save that Sam did have a light seizure at one point, more of an annoyance than anything else, he would've said. After a quick shower by all, bed looked real good, and no playtime, just relaxing time.

The trip back to Bobby's was delayed by a cold front of demon activity moving towards their direction. Instead of facing it head on the quickly escaped the town and took the interstate as much as possible to throw their possible attackers off the scent. He was doing good through most of Georgia and Tennessee but when he hit Kentucky things started to turn a touch sour. It was Sam's turn at the wheel, he demanded at least that consolation and flinched several times as cars attempted to either cut them off or ram them. The Impala definitely proved her worth with Dean saying, "Just a little farther, baby and I promise you can have a rest."

Theo looked at Dean strangely the first time this happened then Castiel explained, "Sometimes mortals give inanimate objects names or identify strongly with them because of an affinity they have with the object. For Dean his affinity is with this car."

"You're damn skippy straight on that." Dean returned looking over his shoulder at Theo. "This is my baby; she's got me out of a lot of hard places and got more miles on her that a good car deserves. This is like the third engine I've had in her and she's still purring like a kitten." Theo smiled at the simile. Then he sat back and in moments was snoring softly.

"The kid's asleep again?" Sam asked concerned looking into the rearview mirror.

"He's still adjusting to the changes in his station and his physical status, you see when we take on a mortal host, it takes a while to well break in the new suit." Castiel explained.

"Just how old is Theo?" Dean asked Castiel.

"Oh he was 'born' I guess you could say at the turn of the 5th Century, but you've got to realize that to us that is barely an adolescent given our lifespan which is several millennia. " Castiel looked at Theo fondly. "He was quite the cut up in Heaven, more of a pain in the rear from time to time than anything else. You're molding him now into a better person; the discipline you are giving him is turning him around and making him more the angel he will have to be in the future."

"Well we only have him a decade. There's a lot that can happen in that span of time." Sam noted.

"Agreed Sam, I thoroughly agree. That's why I want him involved in as many hunts with you as possible."

Dean nodded, "That's not problem, so long as he continues to have the reaction time he showed last night, I've got no problem with it at all."

It was well into the third day of evasions and running blocks that they managed to get back to Bobby's , there they found him hard at work sifting some data and grousing a bit over the lack of information he was accumulating.

"The demons are definitely moving in this direction but there's nothing to tell me what strength we're looking at." He said angrily at the computer.

Theo walked over as Castiel started to speak and looked at the monitor concentrating slightly. "It's all right Bobby, you've done a great job as coordinating this information. " Then he turned his attention to Theo, "You see something don't you?" It was a question but at the same time more of a statement. Theo nodded and pointed to the screen as a massive front line of shower activity about to inundate the area.

"They'll be here in four days maximum; I feel them following this front."

"You're thinking the Greater Seal?" Castiel said and looked at the others but Dean held up his hand restraining speech.

"We know about the Greater Seal of Solomon, but I was always under the impression that they one that is circulated about is more the generation of a bunch of people with too much time on their hands."  
"Actually it is, the seal itself is simple to inscribe, the reaction it like a massive nuclear weapon detonating with regards to psychic energy. At ground zero you will be protected by the seal but on the perimeter, the demons will be destroyed." Castiel said plainly.

"Meaning a lot of innocent blood will be spilled because some folk went and got themselves possessed." Sam said concerned.

"Unfortunately." Theo said sadly.

"Is there any other way of dealing with this kind of situation?" Sam asked. "I mean there has to be some way to exorcise these demons before they get here."

"We'll work on that if you will loan us the use of your computer Sam."

"Sure whatever it takes." Sam said pointing to his laptop. Bobby turned it towards an empty seat at the dining room table.

Castiel started to sit then looked at Theo, "You've more experience with this kind of thing that I do, you do the web surfing, I'll provide you the coordinates."

"Yes sir!" Theo said glad of the responsibility.

"And I'm going to go into the living room, crash on the couch and with permission of my sitter, enjoy a cold one." Sam turned to look at Dean who nodded.

"I think we could all use one." Dean answered.

"Damn good thing I went to the store earlier, got a suitcase just in case you came back thirsty." Bobby said with a grin. Then he looked at Sam. "You gonna be all right son, you look a little pale."

"Yeah, I'll be fine, I just know when I've pushed myself too hard and lately I've been doing just that. Granted, Theo's been a tremendous help giving me psychic recharges and spirit lifts. But I'm just plain tired. Don't know why, don't have a reason, that's just how I am."

Castiel whirled on Sam and looked him dead in the eyes for a moment then strode over to him, talking to Theo at the same time. "Go to the CIA website. Go through the log in procedure and access their sysalert data frame."

"Is that legal?" Sam asked.

"We've special clearance thanks to an accommodating General in the service branches. Now Sam, you say you are tired a lot, what I'm thinking is that you are trickling energy out to help preserve the barriers we have in place. Stop it. Quit thinking about it. Get some nonsense or a song you know looping through your mind. For now this may help." With that Castiel grasped Sam's head then ran his fingers through his hair to the nape of his neck.

"If you wanna make out just ask him." Dean said with a chuckle.

"No Dean, that's amazing, what did you do?" Sam asked.

"Created an etheric skullcap to help hold your energy in check, it will hold and work as long as you don't expend any psychic energy like you did back at the bar. I see I'm going to have to give you some private lessons in how to control this energy."

"I'm in." Theo said suddenly.

"Excuse me." With that Castiel was back at the table hunched over Theo's shoulder, Bobby was coming back through place two beers on the table near the angels, then taking three with him into the living room, Dean sat on the sofa and patted his lap.

"Lay down." He ordered.

"Yes daddy." Sam shot.

"Damn straight. Just lie down and drink your beer and relax."

"Dean, Sam, I've got a hunt of my own starting this week, I'm going out with Herschel from Philly. We're going to take care of a combination black witch coven, we're going to meet up with two more hunters just in case it gets hairy" Bobby stated then looked at them, "Yeah I know what's coming and we'll be back before the demons get here in force."

"We're gonna need you here man, you better come back and come back safe. By the way," Dean asked "How do you know this is a dangerous witches coven, it may just be some kids playing with black magic."

Bobby shook his head violently. "Not from the reports we've been getting from the news."

Sam also gave a nod to another frightening possibility. "There's also the chance that they are hoping to separate you from here to make you easy pickings."

Bobby nodded, "Already considered that possibility, that's why we're going armed to the teeth."

"That's all well and good, but what if the demons who are tracking us are armed to the teeth as well" Dean nodded a thought in that direction.

"We'll be in a safe location," Bobby argued.

"And what makes you think that waiting a few days wouldn't improve your chances, besides, this coven has been around there for a bit?" Sam started.

"About three years." Bobby answered.

"Then what's four days, please Bobby think this through, they're setting you up. " Dean said.

Bobby considered that as he pulled on his longneck beer bottle and then came to a decision. "I'll call Herschel and have him come here, then we'll connect with the others after the all clear is given." He then gave Dean and Sam sour looks, "I still say you're being a couple of old biddy hens, clucking at nothing."

"Well, better we cluck at nothing, you remain here and live, than we say nothing and you go and get yourself killed." Dean volunteered.

Bobby turned his attention back to his beer for a minute, then looked up at Dean and Sam, Dean was ruffling his fingers through Sam's hair. "I'm sorry, I'm open minded and all that, but you gotta admit it's not every day I see this sight."

Sam looked at Bobby concerned, "Is there a problem with it?"

"Nah" Bobby said, "I'm just thinking what John would say to see his sons acting like this, of course, John sowed more than a few wild oats in his day as well."

Now both the boys interested was cued up, "Really, we only know from what we seen and well part of what we felt when he'd been too long in the bottle."

"Aw, I oughtn't to talk ill about the dead, and actually I guess John would consider it a compliment in some ways, but he straddled the fence if you catch my meaning."

"Dad was bi?" Dean said gape-mouthed.

Bobby nodded grinning a bit, "there was times when John was one queer duck. Oh he didn't parade it out like they do these days, hell anybody that was gay kept it to themselves cause communities weren't as liberal minded as they are today." Bobby paused, "There was a time when John would go on hunts with another guy, and no I ain't gonna tell you who, but they'd be gone for more days than it'd take to take care of the problem. He'd call me or Mary up and say that they'd finished the job a bit early and he was going to get some fishing in." Bobby smiled now, "Only thing is what he was fishing for you can catch with any lure you can buy at a tackle shop."

Dean shook his head in wonder, "Never would've thought that about Dad."

"Yeah, and though he'd never admit it out to anybody but me, he knew about you two when you's teenagers. He never said nothing though." Bobby turned and sat his bottle down now drained, and reached for another. "You see he figured that he you two was closer than brothers it would be safer for you both in the long run. After a few years as a hunter he up and married Mary, which afterwards while he blessed God for her giving them y'all he was worried as well when she went with him on the hunts. But they were a strong team because they were in love. He understood that being queer was not really altogether a choice, that lots of times it was in the blood, he figured y'all caught it from him. But he was mighty glad to see you too as close as you were as teens. Although Sam to be fair, he didn't get over losing you to Stanford for months. He was a mess then, he was sure you'd get yourself killed or worse, and he tried to make things safe for you, well safe as he could. There was just some things that wouldn't work." He looked up at Dean, "And don't think I didn't know how much Sam's leaving like that screwed with your head. I remember those summers you'd come up here to visit and you'd spend all day in the piles looking for a junker to tear into to try to breathe life back into. I could tell you were miserable but what could I do? I couldn't very well walk up and start a conversation about it all, oh we did talk about you missing Sam, but not about you _missing_ Sam." The Bobby took a little bit of a sigh and nodded to Dean, "And there were a few nights that I heard some crying behind the bedroom door, I chalked it up to you being homesick at first, then when I put two and two together it made sense."

"You felt like that?" Sam asked slightly agog.

"Yeah." Dean answered gruffly in his "I don't want to pursue this" train of thought. But Sam of course couldn't let it go that easily.

"I missed you too." He told Dean.

"Not too much since I heard you took up with Jessica, when I heard that that was when I stopped crying for a while." Dean admitted.

"I know and I'm sorry to have hurt you that way, but I wasn't about to stay celibate, and I'm sure you had a string of boy toys or ladies coming through your bedroom as well."

"Some" Dean admitted.

"Then you've no room to complain, but" Sam sat up and hugged his brother gruffly, Dean enduring it and rolling his eyes. "I did miss you every day that I was with Jessica. In fact the first few months with her I had to work real hard to not say your name during sex."

Sam lay back down on the couch and looked at Bobby, "I guess we wait not to hear what the wingéd ones have to say about the defensive positions."

They sat there looking at each other for several moments and then Dean broke the silence. "Well I think better when I'm doing something. Is that old Shelby GT still out back of the south piling?"

"Right where you left it nearly 10 years ago." Bobby said gruffly, "always figured you come back to that project."

"Sam you wanna come out to the lot with me, not much to do but it'll be a walk and it'll get you moving." Dean offered.

"Sure, if I won't be in the way."

"Nah, you can sit in the Shelby while I'm under her hood." Dean said smartly

"Good I'll get a bird's eye view of your jeans clad fanny." Sam said teasing.

"You just love me for my looks then?" Dean returned the tease.

Sam sat there thinking for a moment and then shook his head, "Nah the sex is great too."

"Oh my God." Bobby said getting up from his place as the boys were rising up. "Well you go play in the yard, I'll see if I can help out the boys in the kitchen."

Out in the junkyard Dean had thrown an old quilt scrap over the fender of the Shelby and was up to his elbows in the guts of the engine. "Oh yeah, piston walls still feel trued, just have to look about some pistons for it. The ones that were in were undersized a bit and made for shitty performance." Dean told Sam as he tinkered. Sam was tinkering as well looking on his cell phone for any new data from emails and such. Nothing to report on that for which he was both grateful and disturbed.

In the house Bobby was spending several frustrating minutes with Theo and Castiel working on the computer and gathering the data spread. "So it looks like we've a small army on the way I take it."

"Face it Bobby," Castiel started. "What you, Dean, Sam, and Adam did was miraculous and saved your world it also made you some hellacious demons. The only thing about most soldier demons is that they've got to be prodded and pushed towards a goal otherwise they get bored real easy and lose interest."

"SO, just how _big_ of an army are we looking at?" Bobby asked crossly.

"About 250 to 500 approximately," Theo said "That's really not that much in the long run." Theo noted.

"You sound disappointed, what gives?" Bobby asked.

"There should conceivably be about ten times that number headed this way and they're either hanging back waiting to orders, or word has spread that Sam has a new power and it's reaching out and around." Castiel told Bobby. Then he sat down from looking over Theo's shoulder and looked at Bobby, "You've got to understand, Sam's psychic abilities will grow exponentially to the time he and Theo work together. Right now Sam's not even on the level with a first stage angel but he is powerful. He'll grow more powerful as you, Theo, and he work out. Another thing," now Castiel actually looked embarrassed and looked away for a minute before continuing. "Uh, the more you and he exchange seed during you're time the more you'll come to understand humans, and the more he'll come to understanding angels. Your semen and sperm will actually strengthen him, but you are not to tell him this, he is to learn it on his own." Castiel ordered looking now to Bobby who was looking equally embarrassed.

"Don't worry about anything coming from me about it. That's one area I stay hell to breakfast from." Bobby acknowledged.

"You said they were in the southern corner of the junkyard?" Castiel asked Bobby who nodded.

"Sure follow the main trail back and keep bearing to your left as you go, I knew one day Dean would come back and work on that project so I left it there for him. Oh by the way, let's go out to the barn I got a set of rings for that thing 8 years ago, I figured Dean would be coming back. Never got around to giving them to him."

"Keep searching the base, make sure there is not a flanking group coming in." Castiel advised Theo who kept his head bowed over the computer.

"Yes sir." He muttered almost absently as the data poured in from various resources.

Castiel and Bobby retrieved the rings and as Bobby headed back into the house, Castiel headed deeper into the junkyard passing heaps here and there, working through the maze of cars and trails until at last he found Sam and Dean with Dean looking at the pistons and taking some measurements with his calipers.

"Bobby thought you might need these." Castiel offered to Dean who enthusiastically took them.

"Hot damn! And they're just a little oversized to boot." He flashed a smile and got back to work Sam looked up from where he sat and smiled.

"You have made him a very happy man." Sam told him.

"I thought that was your department." Castiel quipped.

"Oh my you're the smartass today, what gives?" Sam asked laughing.

"Just thinking about either how lucky we are or how screwed we are, and frankly I don't care, I could call on Michael, but it looks like a situation that we can handle locally." Castiel said happily. "Plus there is something I would like to give you before we go into this fight."

"Really and that is?" Sam asked, Dean was still under the hood as Castiel bent down and gave Sam a full kiss on the lips. Sam was surprised then warmed to the touch, then felt a sudden shock as he felt something rushing through him that felt like a massive hot flash from the tip of his scalp to his toes. Castiel finally broke the kiss when he heard a voice behind him.

"You better have a damn good reason for snogging my boy." Dean said actually flared up and ready to kick ass with a large socket wrench in one greasy hand.

Castiel stood up and looked at Dean, Sam looked at both of them for a blurred moment them fell across the console, not seizing, just unconscious.

"He needs to be 100% or greater for what is to come, we can no longer wait for nature to take its course in healing him. So I asked the Father if this would be permitted given the circumstances. The Father told me back that it would be permitted, just to be prepared to explain yourself to Dean." Castiel extended his hand, "I meant nothing by it just what I said, I've helped him by speeding up his natural healing abilities. He's still going to have seizures but maybe now they won't be as often or as bad." Castiel shook his head a bit. "Though now I understand what the Son meant about feeling the virtue going out from him when that woman touched the hem of his robe." Castiel said tottering. Dean took his hand and then reached out and braced him up as it looked like he was going to pass out.

Sam was coming around slowly and rubbing his lips absently. He sat up from his cramped position and looked at Castiel who was rocking slightly on his feet. Sam was on his feet in an instant looking at the angel accusingly. "What did you just do?" Sam demanded.

"A little prod to your natural healing process." Castiel said still tottering a bit then falling limply into Dean's arms.

"Well one thing's for sure." Sam said looking at Dean, "He can kiss like all out. He's almost as good as you."

"Thanks, I think." Dean said balancing the angel then carefully laying him down. "Let him rest, I'd like to get these rings on by supper time at least."

"I'll give you a hand." Sam offered. When he saw Dean's incredulous look he bristled slightly, "Look Dad taught me a few things over the years, at least I can still mount pistons."

"You can mount me." Dean said leering.

"Not until we have a shower." Sam replied, "Damn but I feel good, better than good, I feel great."

"Alright Tony the Tiger, settle down and mount up those three pistons I've ringed."

"Dean just a thought but if you get this running, are you retiring the Impala?" Dean gave his brother a highly offended look.

"Not on your life." He said affronted. "I figured since we got ourselves a houseboy for the next several years, he's going to need a ride." Dean shrugged absently.

It was close to sundown when they'd finished at least the remounting and alignment of the pistons. Dean finished working on the rest just before he got a ring on his cell phone. "Yeah, oh ok, be there in a minute."

Dean looked at Sam who was helping the prone figure of Castiel back to his feet, he brushed the back of his coat down and then looked him over carefully.

"I never get used to that." Castiel said quietly. Usually I can wink myself away before the unconsciousness sets in.

"Does that happen all the time?" Dean asked concerned.

"Only when my power is spread about in several areas." Then Castiel looked at Sam and then Dean. "You need a shower." He told them both.

They looked at each other and laughed heartily with Castiel actually joining in moments later. "Look you go on up to the house, tell Bobby that we are getting cleaned up and will be up in about a half hour."

"Think you can tackle all you want to do in a half hour?" Sam asked.

"For now yeah, we shower then later we play, if we're going to be dealing with a shit storm of demons I want to have my brains fucked out first." Dean said securing his tools in the Shelby's trunk. Then he grabbed Dean by the arm and hauled him along. "Come boy, we go get shower, have hell of good time tonight."

"Ok okay." Sam said grinning, then looking back to Castiel and waved and called his thanks back to the angel.

Back at the house Bobby had the table set with bowls as a pot of his chili cooked away on the stove. He turned when he heard the back door open and saw a scrubbed down Sam and Dean come in, stopping his work for a minute he looked at his watch. "Damn if it didn't take you about a half hour."

"We don't fuck all the time." Dean said exaggerating the point. "So Theo what'd you find out?" Dean called.

Theo was sitting back from the laptop with head lolling back cradled by his hands. He straightened up at Dean's voice and smile. "Good news sir, no flanking numbers, the band that is incoming is about 435 from the satellite counts. We can tackle them but it's going to require some special preparation from all of you." He looked sadly up at Castiel who nodded for him to go on. "We are going to have to wait until the demons are in the city proper, preferably as near to the property as possible, then Castiel and I will reveal ourselves but not in these mortal shells. And we will speak to them in our normal voices. It will be a wholesale devastation of those poor souls, but nothing else can be done at this point. The only thing is that you three will have to be in the basement room, that's the only place secure enough that the sound of our voices will not penetrate and our presence won't blind you."

Dean nodded and walked into the dining room and sat down at a place and shook his head sadly, "It's a hell of a job we gotta do, and yeah sometimes it sucks dirt, but I figure that we are taking that much of evil out of the equation."

Bobby couldn't say anything he was just too floored by the information as it was and what would be expected then Castiel told him that he would be rewarded for his part in the entire mess. Bobby served up the chili in silence and kept his own thoughts close. Dinner was a near silent affair with Bobby sharing comments with Dean and Sam every now and then and Castiel with Theo sat in relative silence knowing the job ahead of them.

Castiel did have one good nugget of news. "As you have set proper wards of protection around the property and we have added to that, there will be no destruction on your property, however, unfortunate it is, many shopkeepers are going to be missing windows before all is over and done with." He noticed their shocked looks and shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, there's nothing to be done about that. We have notified our agency contact that we are going to be eliminating some demons that are expected in the area in three days minimum, they are taking immediate action to evacuate the area. They are using the story of a possible chemical attack on the city to enforce the evacuations. They are also not using a specific country right now as a blame point so that much of a peaceful deterrent is in place." Castiel finished.

Soon they were all finished, Castiel bade his goodbyes for the evening, Sam and Dean looked at Bobby and mentioned that they would like some alone time so they were going to the trailer. Theo mentioned that he would walk the perimeter and check the wards and do what little extra he could, after that was he finished with several hands of poker with Bobby. So everyone did go their own way for the evening.

Once Sam and Dean were in their trailer they fell into each other's arms, Sam found himself near tears at one point and looked at Dean. His voice tremulous, "Dean I am so tired of us being a focal point for this shit." Dean nodded and lay there on the living room floor with Sam.

"I know what you mean baby bro of mine. I'm heartily sick and tired of the bullshit." He sighed long and deep then looked at Sam, "what say we leave the toy box alone tonight?" He offered.

"Thank you, I didn't want you to think I would be sounding well…girly…if I voted for a romantic evening together." The living room did have a single log fireplace powered by natural gas. Dean lit the fireplace and turned the lamps off so that the only light in the room was a flickering from the fire. He and Sam lay in the rug in front of the fire place then stood and walked to the bedroom, stripped, Dean grabbed up the astroglide and they grabbed a comforter and went back to the living room laying the comforter in front of the fireplace and then laying down on it themselves, snuggled in a peaceful hug for the moment. Sam smiled up at Dean who was laying half on him, and they began their tour of love with several minutes of just passionate kissing and caresses. Each feeling the others face lips kissing and nibbling then Dean took the initiative and kissed and nibbled down Sam's neck working his way down his chest, love the lightly fur covered nipples. That what sort of thrilled Dean about Sam physique, except for a small patch in the center of his chest and a trail leading down and fanning out from navel to crotch, he was basically hairless on his body. As he got down to Sam's stomach and pelvis he swing around then to give Sam some area to play with. That was also one thing that touched him deeply, that Dean always, well nearly always considered his own pleasure secondary to giving pleasure to Sam.

Sam bent up slightly and kissed and nibbled on Dean's stomach, his pelvis, and thighs working around but never on the crotch. Finally Sam threw a leg open and Dean a leg across to straddle Sam who proceeded to bend upwards as Dean bent downwards and they proceeded to rim each other gently at first then with a sense of urgency. They filled the air in the trailer with their groans of lust as they continued to rim and now working their ways back towards the crotch started with the balls, sucking on them, nipping on the sack, tonguing and teasing, and finally they got to each other's cock which was seriously weeping pre-come. There was no talk no mutters, nothing said just their sounds of pleasure which ripped the air. There was one thing which they particularly loved when they were feeling romantic and that was timing everything to happen in tandem. That way they each received equal pleasure. Dean proceeded to start deep throating Sam's cock, enjoying the delicious velvet feel of the head of his cock passing over his tongue past his gag reflex which he had long learned to control. Sam was having the same pleasure with Dean's up to feeling his bush brush and teasing his nose. They relished doing this one act for the other especially with the added fingering of the anal ring and finger fucking that went on as well. They lasted this way for several minutes until at last Dean let out a moan as did Sam, Sam exploded in orgasm first as was Dean's plan then he permitted himself to orgasm, nearly screaming from the delight, they sucked greedily at each other's cock, and finally as their members started to wilt a little after this first orgasm of the evening Dean unstraddled Sam who lay there as Dean turned back up towards his head. Kissing they shared a little of the expended come they let coat their tongues. Tasting each other eagerly and greedily, they kissed and nuzzled and sucked with the glee of two teenagers. Finally giggling Sam pulled back and muttered.

"You tickled me just then with your cock." Sam accused grinning.

"Oh you mean this." And Dean took his member in hand and slowly brushed it ever so slightly against Sam's thigh.

"Yes that!" Sam said convulsing in laughter. Then he hugged Dean ferociously, Dean returned the hug and smiling he heard Sam say, "I wish we could be like this forever."

"So do I, So do I." Dean returned, and they proceeded to neck and kiss, and nuzzle and nibble until once again Sam was hot and ready to romp and Dean was the willing victim of this attack. With Dean, Sam knew that foreplay had already occurred, this was dessert and he was going to enjoy it immensely, Sam slicked his foreskin back with one hand and then coated it with astroglide from the other hand.

The taking careful aim he asked Dean, "So you feeling hot to trot, or slow to go?"

Dean grinned as always at Sam's little sayings and said, "Very hot to trot." With that Sam didn't waste any time and shoved his hard dick completely up to the hilt into his brother. Dean bowed upwards in intense pleasure and not a little pain. He was about to relax when Sam drove into him again, each time striking his prostate and sending waves of pleasure across his body. Dean was basically very vocal during sex which was probably a good reason for Bobby to have them in a private residence on the property. God knows what Bobby would have done if he'd heard what was penetrating the walls of the trailer. Sam was pulling nearly completely out only to spear him again and again and again. Sam started pulling on Dean's cock as well while humping his brother. Dean was in his own world now, riding that cloud like a surfer rides the wave. He tensed and relaxed and then tensed again as Sam plunged and willingly raped him. Dean put his arms over his head locking wrists, Sam placed his great hands over Dean's wrists and pinned him down fucking him steadily. Now he was getting some resistance which he loved from Dean as Dean strove to fight the imprisonment of his wrists. That added an extra spice to their sex with the bondage aspect as well as the pain. Now Sam leaned his head down as Dean raised his up and they joined in a ferocious kissing entanglement.

"Oh f-fuck Dean, you do it so goo-good." Sam said in a gasp as he continued to fuck Dean.

Saying in a commanding voice back to his brother. "Shut up and fuck me like the slut I am." Dean said in a growl as he continued to fight the restrictions, now Sam leaned into holding him down, and now fucked him hard, pounding him, reddening his ass and Sam's thighs and belly as flesh slapped flesh, then Sam let out a guttural cry and felt his cock spasm send jets of him come deep into Dean who actually feeling the jetting of the come, came himself. He cried out their voices clashing in a glorious crescendo as they continued to fuck like this for several minutes until at last Dean relaxed his struggles and Sam eased up his tension and slowly settled into a tender loving pace again. And finally his own dick plopping out of Dean, Sam rolled off his brother and lay in a sweaty heap by him.

"This sounds wrong on some levels but I love it when we're slicked down with sweat like this. Not a grunge thing but just a good clean sweat." Dean said smiling and panting. "God damn but you're a wonderful fuck."

Sam grinned as well and kissed his brother, "Thank you, love you too."

They lay that way for nearly an hour letting the firelight play over their skin and enjoying the ambiance. Then Dean looked at Sam concerned, "You all right?"

"I'm fine." Sam assured him.

"Just asking, umm, give me a second and I'll mount you." Dean told Sam, Sam nuzzled his neck and said gratefully.

"If you want, or we can do that later, I promise I'm not going anywhere." Sam told him.

The rest of the evening was pretty much a delirious sweaty, slippery, haze for the two of them. They finally fell asleep in front of the gas log fireplace and were blissfully unaware when a blast of wind came down the exhaust pipe and knocked the fire out, releasing to the confined room the unmistakable sulphuric odor of natural gas. Sam was the first to notice something wrong with the headache he was suddenly aware of then he gagged and coughed as the stench flooded him. He grabbed Dean who was none the better for wear and hauled him over to the door, he was about to open the door when it flew open and Theo stood there gaping, he reached inside to cut on a light, when Sam with a presence of mind slapped his hand away.

"You'll blow us up. Help me with Dean, they hauled Dean's inert body out with Theo levering him down the steps. Theo checked his pulse and respiration and both were shallow at best, pinching the nostrils shut he blew into Dean, once then twice. Dean coughed then, his eyes fluttering and suddenly he was seized with a paroxysm of coughing.

"Need to shut off gas to fireplace, left side of hearth. With that Theo ran back in and did just that, responding as well by opening windows venting the trailer.

Bobby came sprinting down next, still pulling on his trousers. "This un fell asleep in the living room, I went on up and was getting ready for bed when I heard the back door slam. I came down and he was gone. Took me a minute to get my drawers back on."

"This un just saved our lives. Something blew out the fire on the gas log and caused most of the gas to vent back into the room." Sam said gasping. "Last time we use the fireplace for ambiance." Sam said sourly.

"Don't worry son, I'll put in a wood burner, it'd be a helluva lot safer in the long run." Bobby offered.

"What the fuck?" Dean said propping up some and coughing his lungs up or so it felt.

"Flame out on the fireplace, we were being gassed." Sam said now kneeling by Sam.

"You don't think that these demons had anything to do with this?" Bobby started then slapped his forehead, "What the hell am I thinking," he proceeded to slap Theo in the chest with the back of his hand. "We protected the perimeter fine, just nothing to protect overhead or below.

Theo looked at Dean, "The knife where is it?"

Dean looked down at his naked form then back at Theo then said the obvious. "Well I don't keep it up my ass so I guess that would mean our bedroom. "

Theo started back for the trailer and sniffed the air experimentally. Then he held out his hand which suddenly glowed with a light radiance, giving him light to see by but not to ignite. He came back out after several moments with the dagger and drew a complete pattern in the loose earth. He looked at the humans and barked, "Cover your eyes."

They complied and he thrust his hand down on the sigil. A bright light exploded in the air for a moment and then dissipated.

Castiel wandered up idly towards the two naked men and the Theo and Bobby. Theo turned to Castiel and became abject.

"I'm sorry sir, had to launch the Lesser seal. They were nearly gassed." Castiel waved it away, and looked at Dean and Sam worriedly.

"How are you feeling now?" He asked.

" Better, cold but better." Dean said rising shakily to his feet and staggering towards the trailer.

"You ain't going back in there right now." Bobby warned.

"Need my britches at least." Dean grumped. Theo sprinted past them and was back out shortly with their discarded clothing. They dressed with what little dignity they could muster and finally looked back at the trailer recovered now. They both turned to Theo and clapped him companionably on the shoulder.

"Well done squirt." Dean said affectionately. Theo blushed under the rough praise.

"We'll get the windows opened the stay up at the house tonight. You folk go on up, Theo you hang around a minute and you can help me get this place aired out." Bobby advised. Castiel walked close to Dean who looked to be having the harder time recuperating from the gas, Sam could only figure he was nearer the fireplace. As it was it took them about 30 minutes to cover the short distance between the trailer and the house. They were nearly there when they heard Bobby coming up behind them.

"I went ahead and got a wrench from the garage and unhooked that gas log. I'll go down tomorrow and cap the line, then I'll look at what it'll take to install that wood burner in there."

Dean held up his hand and waved it absently in the air and he made his way up the back steps. "Forget it Bobby, Sam and I will go into town in the morning and look at what an unvented unit would cost. "

No one felt much like talking and all made their ways to various beds or sofas. In the upstairs bedroom adjacent to Bobby's, Dean and Sam undressed and climbed into bed, Sam hugged Dean close, Dean not doing his usual "this is too girly for me" mood for a change. Instead he folded up into Sam's strong arms.

"Sorry about the fireplace ruining our perfect evening." Dean said pissed off still at whatever caused the log to flame out.

Sam kissed him softly, "It's okay, at least we got out alive, that's all that matters. And we had a wonderful evening earlier."

"Yeah that was kinda special wasn't it." Dean said smiling into the darkness.

"Very. Thank you." Sam said quietly.

"Thank you." Dean returned.

"What you're not going to jibe me about being girly man." Sam said teasing.

"Nah, I'm too tired for that. Good nice sweetheart." Dean said only half jokingly.

"night." Sam said as they snuggled in and soon were fast asleep.

The next day after breakfast, Dean and Bobby went back down to the trailer to check out the fireplace. Bobby looked up the flue with his flashlight and snorted. Then went outside propping a ladder against the side of the trailer climbed up and checked out the chimney and snorted again.

"Found the cause, the damper only closed half way last night, and the cap had been knocked off the chimney top. We fix those and you're 'ambiance' should be all right. Just the same I'm going to modify that so that the fireplace will be covered by a glass screen. And we're going to install carbon monoxide sensors in the house." He looked at the throw bunched up on the floor. "You must've had a fine ole time down here last night." He said with a joking leer.

"We fucked like bunnies." Dean said jibing Bobby.

Bobby shook his head, "Heh, and I thought I was impetuous back when the missus was alive." He looked at Dean, "I want you to come stay behind here in the eh…compound for now. I'll get Theo or Castiel to ride with me to the hardware store. That way I'll be protected but more to the point you two will be safe."

"Bobby" Dean started.

"Shut up, I know what you're about to say and you can stow it. That's what's going to happen so get over it." Bobby said.

"Yes sir." Dean said rolling his eyes.

Back up at the house there was little discussion about what must be done only the gravity of the situation. "Look at it like this," Bobby started, "Theo and I will be in the Home Mart, we'll be safe in there cause there are just too many good things to use as weapons. I'll park close to the entrance and besides I've got that car sigiled inside and out with about a hundred designs under three coats of paint and a clear coat. We'll be vulnerable going in and coming out and I don't plan to give them a stationary target."

The rest couldn't argue not that it would've done much good with Bobby in the mood he was in, so they broke off with Sam, Dean and Castiel going down to the southern back to work some more on the Shelby, Dean had the top end back on and was hoping to try and fire it up later that day. Between the two teams it was about an hour or better before they heard the sound of a car pulling onto the property. Sam broke away from the group and wandered up to meet Bobby and Theo who were carrying several bags between them, Bobby nodded at the car, "Go on lazybones, there's more to bring in, I'm stocking up in case there's a siege on. You and Theo get the groceries in and put up and I'll start on the trailer.

Down at the trailer Bobby took the chimney cap and before installing it took an awl and inscribed both an Enochian symbol and a couple of powerful sigils into the aluminum. Then after installing it securely onto the chimney went into the trailer and took a closer inspection of the damper. He then took a pair of cutters and cut the damper loose and removed it completely. "It's a gas log, why the hell the builders stuck a damper in is beyond me." Bobby said to himself. Then he coated the connector on the log with sealant and rejoined the connections, finally he installed the glass screen over the 'fireplace'.

"Everything okay Bobby?" Sam asked coming in followed by Theo.

"Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out why some dip wad would install a chimney with a damper into a trailer with a gas log fireplace." Bobby said disgustingly shaking his head, "Hell, over thinking the plumbing, easiest way to stop up the drain."

"Sam sir, may I sigil the interior of the trailer?"

"Sure, just don't wear yourself out." About then they heard a backfire, then another, then the sound of a car with a real bad muffler coming around the lot. They all stepped out of the trailer just in time to see Dean and Castiel pulling up in the Shelby. Dean got out but left it running. The backfiring has stopped but Dean could see that it was in for a hell of a tune up.

"Thanks Cas." Dean said to a somewhat greasy angel who was carrying an easy smile for a change.

"You're welcome." Castiel answered him and then looked at himself. "Mind if I use your shower?" He asked.

"Go ahead." Dean said thumbing towards the trailer. Then he looked at Theo, "Boy you know anything about working on a car?" Theo looked at him puzzled and shook his head. "Well you got ten years to learn and I'm going to dump a lot of knowledge into that pretty head of yours."

"Sir?" Theo said thoroughly confused now.

"We're going to have to get this tuned up and get you a set of papers made, but once this baby is tuned up she's yours." Dean said with a grin. Theo looked like he'd been slapped across the face with a live bass.

"Mine sir? Uh I've not done anything to earn it." He said quizzically.

"Look you're going to need transport cause I sure as hell can't break to come take you anywhere, and if Sam and I are out on a job and you're here, you'll need something to get away from Bobby from time to time."

"Hell of a way to talk to the man who just fixed your fire trap." Bobby grumped.

"Sorry, ya know I love ya like my luggage." Dean shot back. Bobby shot him the bird in return. The others laughed. Theo looked back at the trailer and started back in.

"I better get those sigils in place." He said somewhat embarrassed.

It took Theo the better part of the afternoon to get the work completed in the trailer, finally Dean broke in by coming down from the house with a sandwich and a beer for him.

"Here, you're about to miss lunch and you've been down here way to long." Theo came up to Dean and smiling took the food then turned back to Dean and gave him a big hug and then a kiss on the cheek. "What's that for?" Dean said smiling.

"Thank you for the car sir, I just wanted to tell you privately, I mean you stunned me earlier and I guess I did seem ungrateful, but I really do appreciate it."

"Kid the look on your face was thanks enough."

Theo looked down and flushed slightly not trusting himself to speak for the moment. Dean sensed this was an emotionally threatening moment for the young angel and eased a finger under his chin and lifted his face and kissed him tenderly on the lips. So the kiss blossomed and they were soon hugging a kissing with a will.

Finally with an equal will they broke the kiss with both panting. Theo was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry…I never should have done that. I mean I'm just the houseboy not Sam."

"And being a houseboy means that occasionally you service one or the other. But I want your willing participation not coerced if you understand me."

Theo looked at Dean a moment and then cupping Dean's crotch, "I understand completely." With that Theo knelt and unzipped Dean's pants and freed his bulging member from the constraints of the clothing. Dean was sporting a throbbing orgasm at the moment and grinned first then gasped and rolled his eyes as Theo took him to the root, wrapping his tongue around the head of Dean's dick, sucking and nibbling, teasing and generally worshipping Dean's manhood and mastery. Dean realized the it wouldn't take him long to come under such ardent manipulations and it didn't, after about ten minutes of Theo lapping, sucking, nibbling, nuzzling and loving Dean's dick and balls, the former twitched the latter tightened up and Theo sensing this took Dean again to the root as Dean came with a vengeance and collapsed onto their couch with Theo following him down continued to lap every drop of come from Dean's dick. When he was through he knelt in front of Dean.

"I hope that was an adequate down payment of thanks." Theo said with a lovely smile.

Dean pulled him up into his lap and gave him a strong hug, "More than adequate my little angel." Then Dean felt up Theo, and smiled, "Well maybe not that little, with that he freed Theo's manhood from his constricting jeans and loved on that tool, sucking as much as he could, working around the length and enjoying every minute of the attention he was returning. It took even less time for Theo to come than it did Dean as he cried out and spasmed with the orgasm. Dean relished the sweetest taste of boy come and then lapping him clean he grinned up at him and told him something similar to what Theo had said earlier.  
"I hope that's was adequate payment or at least a down payment for saving our lives earlier." He told the angel. Who flung his arms around Dean's neck and hugged him fiercely.

"This is the first time I've experienced the human emotion of love, I've experienced on and off love expressions in Heaven, and what few times I've been on earth, but this is the best. Thank you for accepting me."

"Hey, thanks for hanging around." Then he gave Theo's well formed ass a playful swat and shifting slightly. "Come on we better get back up the house or Sam's going to send a posse out for us.

"No posse," can a still quiet voice from the doorway, they spun and saw Sam standing there with a goofy grin on his face. "What can I say" he shrugged, "I like to watch and you were perfect." He said walking in and touching Theo's face tenderly. Theo proceeded to give Sam a hug as well. "I think it's safe to say that if you are served or serve either one of us alone there will be no problems. After all I know where my mate is and where his loves lie." With that Sam leaned over and gave Dean a long hug and kiss. "Now I think we all better get up to the house. Castiel is hovering over my laptop and he is not looking too happy."

Back up at the house they did find Castiel and Bobby staring at the computer screen and looking at a looming storm front making its way in from the Northeast. "Gentlemen there are no demons in that and it looks like a front created by God, this is unprecedented though, God has been content to permit Lucifer to try his tricks on Earth giving mankind the choice, but this is an all out attack from God against these demons."

"This is a good thing right?" Dean asked Castiel.

"Partially, while the junkyard and house are protected, the places around town won't be as fortunate, there is going to be some collateral damage. So far according to my contacts the town is about 30% evacuated with the other 70% preparing for evacuations. Most are boarding up their homes like the advance of a hurricane and that is wise." Castiel noted. They were in the epicenter of what would be a catastrophic storm that would strike the area. Castiel pointed to a line on a map he had pulled up and shook his head, "We now have close to 4,000 demons headed into the area. Lucifer is planning an all out suicide run for his demon kind, this will not be a random slaying of demons this will be a massacre."

"Yes…it will." They all started and spun towards the Kitchen and faced Adam/Michael. Michael spoke through Adam and told them, "This is going to be a test for all of you. Castiel this will demonstrate your place in Heaven for all demon kind to see, Theodorious this will show whether you are mature enough to take on other challenges after your penance has been fulfilled. For you Sam, Dean, and Bobby, this will a test of strength of you as family."

"Are you hanging around?" Dean started, "Or are you going to be a bench warmer."

"Dean." Castiel warned.

"For this round I cannot interfere. Our Father has ordered this and I must obey, however I will tell you this, the demons will be here in force in 24 hours, they will not be able to penetrate your perimeter but will lay siege to your castle." Michael quipped. Then he gave a long sigh, "The use of the Greater Seal has been authorized, and we of Heaven are preparing for the glut of souls that we will have for judgment." Michael pointed into the back yard of the home and immediately the grass there died out to form a circle, then the sigils burned themselves into the soil, finally the whole of it glowed, "I've established the seal, you know what it's going to take to activate it. For this the Father is prepared your healing Castiel."

Castiel nodded solemnly, "I know." Then he turned to the others, his eyes filled with pain for what was coming for them. He looked then squarely at Dean and nodded. "At the appointed time you are going to slit my throat."

"Like Hell!" Dean roared.

"Like hell you will, if you want to save your world and be rid of at least 4000 of the demons which have been loosed on humanity, you will, I need your vow on this."

"Oh man this is fucked."

Castiel nodded smiling slightly. "It is as you say, Fucked, but it is required, for the salvation of mankind innocent blood must be spilled for me it will be an experiment and experience in what I can endure."

Castiel paused for a moment and then looked at Dean, "You swear to do this?"

Dean ran his fingers through his short cropped hair frustrated. "Why dude, why sacrifice yourself like this. Okay so innocent blood has to be spilled, slash my wrists, I heal fast."

Castiel smiled now openly and was touched by the offer, "No Dean, this is something I've got to do." He looked at Dean hard now. "Your oath."

"I'll do it, fuck me, but I'll do it." Dean spat.

"I don't understand what your are carping about so, when this occurs I will be taken to the Father's bosom and will be healed, I will return at some point. Until then you'll have Theo."

"You can do it Dean, I know you can." For a moment Michael released his hold on Adam for the kid brother to come through. "Do it for all of us." With that he was gone with a passing of a gentle breeze. Castiel looked on all of them for a moment and sighed, "Don't dwell on this but concentrate on the bigger picture of what we have to do. " He looked around for a moment, then nodded. "Sam, I want you and Dean to lay a thick salt circle around this house and back yard area, there must be nothing to interfere with what is going to happen."

"I thought the plan was that you would reveal yourselves as angels and do a mass exorcism? What changed the order?" Sam asked.

"The numbers of demons that are loosed and coming." Castiel said looking down at his hands for a moment and found that they were actually shaking. "So this is what fear is like? Interesting sensation." He looked at them all and smiled. "The Son prayed that this cup pass from him, but accepted the mantle of death. I've the same choice only my sacrifice will be miniscule by comparison, just a piece of sand on a great beach. May I have some time alone with Theo?" He asked. Bobby nodded and pointed towards his study.

"Y'all take it in there, we won't bother you."

"Thank you Bobby." Castiel said solemnly.

When they were gone Dean shook his head, "Of all the crazy ideas this is the craziest, the very thought of having to do this twists my gut."

"Doesn't do a helluva lot for mine either." Bobby sighed broadly. "Okay salts in the outbuilding, about 600 lbs of the stuff, use what you need. Just do what he said and lay the circle thick." Sam and Dean spent the next hour pouring sack upon sack of salt laying a impenetrable circle around the place. When a car horn sounded, Bobby came out and noticed it was his hunter friend Herschel. He waved him to come on in but it seemed like he was stuck.

"Aw shit, Dean! Sam!" Bobby called. They came running around from the back of the house finishing the salt circle. "We got trouble. Herschel got out of the car and walked up to the entrance to Bobby's property and stopped. His eyes were coal black.

"Not the best way to greet a friend." Herschel said his face taut under the glare of the sun.

"My friend ain't a shit festering demon." Bobby said coldly.

"You know I'll find a way in, it's only a matter of time."

Dean looked at the hunter then at Sam who walked up and stared at Herschel who crouched now and hissed.

"YOU GOT A HALFBREED! Lucifer's vessel is fouled beyond condemnation now. HOW DARE YOU!" With that the demon stood and attempted to penetrate the shield, he gathered himself and leaped fence his but was rebuffed by the shielding.

"Herschel will be freed." Sam said walking past Dean and Bobby, his eyes glowing golden, the demon now cringing, unable to move under that stolid glare. "Herschel will be freed." Sam said again, then stepped to within inches of the hunter and reached down grabbing the man's jaw. "HERSCHEL WILL BE FREED!" Sam roared, and just that quick the demon was gone, no smoke, no theatrics, just gone. Sam backed up and welcomed the shaken hunter who stepped cautiously into the area and collapsed.

It didn't take them long to have Herschel into the house and lying on the sofa in the living room. His breathing was shaky but steady, his skin pallid for a black man, and dripping with sweat. Sam walked up and lay his hand on the man's forehead and Herschel's eyes flew open.

"Lord Jesus Christ preserve me." He said in a rush. Then relaxed, looking around and seeing Bobby among all the faces relaxed completely. "I'm sorry Bobby, I tried to keep that sonuvabitch out, we fought tooth and nail, finally the sucker swelled up and took over. He didn't even given me a ghost of a chance."

"Don't fret so about it Herschel, them bastards are tricky and can do what they want how they want. You're freed of it now." Bobby said trying to ease the man's pain some.

"You're not going on a hunt this time." Sam said quietly, "It's coming to you."

"You have a talent for understatement my friend." Herschel said smartly. Dean came back in the house. "Got you car pulled in and safe. " He looked at Herschel, "You ran a few hunts with dad didn't you?"

"Yep, last time I saw you was what 8 years ago? Shit time does fly. And Sam, damn it boy when I saw you last you was just a teenager."

Bobby looked around the group and nodded, "Well we're up to a good half dozen now, we're in a lot better shape than we were." Then proceeded to pass the beer around to all. They talked for the better part of the afternoon and on into the evening about the situation, with Herschel giving them a rundown of what it was like in the south west. They were not encouraged by the news and began to wonder if what could be done.

"The fear is palpable in here." Castiel replied rejoining the group, he looked at Herschel, "I don't believe I'd had the pleasure. I am called Castiel." He said with a hand extended.

"I'm Herschel Johnson. Used to hunt a lot with Bobby here. Now it looks like I'm stuck here for right now."

Castiel raised his eyebrows and looked at the man, "You can always leave, head west, you'll be safe provided you leave now."

"I think I'll stay." Herschel said evenly, matching his tone word for word with Castiel.

"Good at least you're aware of your fear, the rest of you stink with it and will draw demons like flies. Get your backbone up, it's not near as bad as you feared." Then Castiel looked at Sam, "Good work on the demon by the way. That's how it's done, some you give at least three chances then you cast out, some don't get that, they just get cast out period."

"You boys talking like you at least ain't human. If you not, then what are you?" Herschel said pressing back into the sofa. Castiel and Theo said nothing just unfurled their unseen wings. Herschel gaped a moment then shook his head. "Well ain't that the damndest thing and here I thought the angels were just sitting by watching the light show down here."

"No we are hard at work doing what we can to help ease the burden as we go along." Theo offered. Herschel gaped slightly at Theo.

"But you just a boy."

"I'm 1500 years old, I guess I'm what you'd call a child angel in comparison to the great scheme." Theo said with a grin. "But I'm well trained."

Then he looked at Sam and Dean, "I'm sorry that I could be out there with you sir."

"It's all right you had more important fish to fry in here with Castiel." Dean said with a smile. "You two get everything talked out?"

"Yes sir, I'm good with it and will be your second in case you feel you can't do it."

"Thanks Theo," Dean said quietly. "I'm going to try, just give me that much okay?"

"Yes sir."

"Do what exactly?" Herschel asked.

Castiel smiled enigmatically at him and shook his head, "When the time comes you'll see." Then he looked at everyone, "for now I seriously suggest you get some rest tomorrow is going to be a very busy day.

With that Dean looked at Sam and leaning on one another for a moment started out of the house with Theo following close.

"Somethin' tells me that they are a bit closer than brothers?" Herschel said.

Bobby nodded, "It happens to all of us hunters sooner or later, we either hook up with a good woman who understands us or with our partners who work with us."

"It is good they have each other they will need it in the days ahead." Castiel said walking back into the study.

Leaving Bobby and his hunter friend private time to catch up and plan for the assault that was to come.

In the trailer Sam, Dean and Theo sat around looking at one another for a moment and then Dean pulled his hair in frustration.

"Sorry guys, I hate waiting for something like this that I know is coming, okay let's put two and two together here, we got this place warded to hell and back, every sign and sigil we can think of painted on and then over on the board fencing the entrance is protected by that shield, is there anything we're forgetting?"

"Just one thing sirs. They can't come over the fence or through the gate but is they've got anything to block the opening they will create a breach in the barrier so we have to be prepared to act quickly. That may mean we don't have time for much physical work against them, it may be down to Castiel, Sam and me working them our way, you and Bobby and this Herschel working them their way." He sighed and looked around. "Whatever the case they will get into the lot and we need to prepare for that."

So Dean, Sam and Theo sat back planning as well for their part in the assault that was coming. Everyone wired up and in high tension.

The day broke early with Dean, Sam, and Theo all piled into bed together, they'd actually did their planning up until sundown then went into the bedroom and proceeded to release their relative tensions in so many ways and express themselves in so many ways as to boggle the mind, Sam woke up with a grin as he recalled the previous night. Theo woke full of pep and energy, and Dean woke as usual, like a grumpy bear. They all got showered and changed as well as armed, from somewhere Theo broke out a long sword that he slung around his waist and prepared to do battle. They were walking up to the house then stopped as they saw the first of the possessed clamoring around the gate to the property unable to enter and furious at being balked. Bobby and Herschel came out of the house armed and ready, Castiel was the last to come out appearing unarmed but everyone knew that to be a deception. With the suddenness of crazed people that they were they charged the gates only to be rebuffed some smoking from hitting the unseen barrier. Others tried to leap the fence only to have the same thing happen, they bounced harmlessly away, this went on about two hours, the crowd growing this and the attitude growing more angry. Finally some screaming , terrorized townsfolk were pushed to the front line and executed their pure bodies thrown into the gate opening in an attempt to create a barrier for them to break through, but again they were rebuffed as the shielding that was over the place held, at last a loud rumble filled the air and an air horn blew, people moved back from the fence as a eighteen wheeler backed in and over the bodies on the ground, the rear doors of the trailer flung open to disgorge dozens of possessed and crazed individuals. Suddenly guns blazed and spirit energy flew about in rampant strikes taking out as many as possible they were backed up into the lot fighting like dervishes. Dean was busy expending bullets as more of the possessed crawled under the rear axle of the truck and made their way into the compound. Sam turned one direction then the next reached out psychically and destroying a demon here and another there. Leaving confused and bewildered people wandering about, Castiel raised both hands and started physically touching the incoming possessed freeing them of the demons, with Theo battling his way back with a flurry of hand motions designed to free them. Suddenly they found Sam, Dean, Bobby, Castiel and Herschel found themselves backed up to the chalk line.

Castiel shouted "Now Dean now is the time!" They quickly jumped the salt line and made to the Greater seal burned into the grass. The demon kind nearly overwhelmed them and Theo was lost to sight in the crowd for a moment then suddenly appeared as Castiel knelt by the seal and exposed his throat, "Now Dean! You swore, Now fulfill your oath!" Castiel roared, at the same moment two knifes disappeared hilt deep into Theo's chest, Sam and Dean roared in indignation, sorrow, and frustration. Dean took his knife and looked at Castiel, "Forgive me." Was all he said as he slit his friend's throat letting him fall forward towards the seal. It seemed to happen in slow motion to the others, for as soon as Dean brandished the knife two things happened, the demons dropped the body of Theo and backed up, then secondly they broke into a terrified run. As Castiel's body touched the circle, there was a massive flare of power and a nuclear flash of light that momentarily blinded all standing close but at the same time burning through the demons that were in the town and those on the outskirts. Nearly 4000 demon possessed freed or left for dead and their bodies could no longer support their demon hosts, even the dispossessed were running in the opposite direction seeing the wanton destruction. Dean and Sam looked with horror at the slain forms of their friends and lover. Bobby and Herschel began slowly picking their way through the carnage, with Herschel moving the truck from the fence line. All said and done the battle for Bobby's junkyard took just over two hours of solitary fighting and exorcisms. Sam reached Theo first followed by Dean, the picked him up and turned him over, the knives still embedded in his chest. There was a strange smile on his face. Sam pulled out one knife while Dean pulled the other free.

"Thank you." Came a breath on the wind. With that it was as if Theo had never lived, he was a mere shell on the ground. Dean looked in horror at the carnage and at Theo the one person who was totally innocent in all this. Sam went a step further and placed hands over the wounds and begged, "Live, please live. Come on Theo, don't give up now, please!" Sam was in sobs now, his tears falling on his hands as he propped on the wounds, then he bent down to give him artificial respiration and using every trick in the book he knew about first aid to help Theo, who's breathing was a thread. The Sam slumped over their friend, shaken to the core. It was then that two massive trucks pulled up and started disgorging men who were busy pulling bodies out and stacking them in the backs of a truck like cordwood, as they got the last an hour and a half later, Sam was still leaning over Theo his tears falling like rain. Not giving up he did the only thing he could think of and that was to grab Dean's knife and slit his forearm, he pressed wound to wound.

"Come on you little bastard, live. You got ten years service to us and I ain't giving you up that easily. LIVE!" Sam screamed. He turned then and flung himself into Dean's waiting arms, both of them crying over their losses for the day, their innocence long since lost, it was the sheer mass of people that they had seen either dispossessed or dead. Dean released Sam and pointed as a glow seemed to emanate around Theo's body for a moment and then body and glow were gone. They'd known him such a short time but for that time he'd become such an important part of their lives. The grief was boundless. Bobby and Herschel stepped up and over them urging them to come inside the house, and rest, they must be beat and Dean needed to see to that wound of Sam's.

Inside the house they sat around stunned and poleaxed looking. They'd been witness to many fights and hunts in their respective day but never one that was on this scale of carnage and terror. They could only guess but on the out skirts of the city there lay scores of dead. The city now under Federal Quarantine keeping people out while the Federal teams did the clean up and mopping up. Sam sat back on the couch totally despondent, looking now and then at Dean, totally clueless to what else was going on around him. Suddenly there was an exchange of air, a rushing wind, and a nattily clothed man stood amongst them, Bobby and Herschel seemed to be clueless of this beings identity but Sam and Dean knew him only too well.

"Why, why two innocents to be taken today."

"Only two, we'll two who were fighting against the hordes, but thousands who were fighting for them. Lucifer is going to be quite busy filtering in the willing while we in Heaven are busily filling in the unwilling and sanctified. You boys did good today, you all did and for that you've earned my thanks and I think you'll find a gift in your trailer." With that he was gone.

"Which angel was that?" Bobby asked.

"Wasn't an angel." Dean said tiredly.

"Demon?" Herschel asked.

"Nope" Sam said quietly.

"Gotta be an angel then, unless that was God almighty." Herschel said half joking then noting the serious looks on Sam and Dean's face he braced up, "Oh man, you are totally shitting me. You mean that…that was…it was HIM!"

Sam and Dean nodded tiredly and walked out of the house and back to their trailer. Upon entering, they shook their heads and again fell into one another's arms, the tears not completely spent.

"I never thought I'd have an emotion left in after you disappeared down that hole in the ground. Guess I'm proved wrong."

"You and me both bro. They walked silently to Theo's bedroom and flipped on the light to reveal their gift, Theo lay in the bed squinting into the light, which Dean quickly turned back off. They were ecstatic and made no effort to hide their joy as they hugged and kissed Theo soundly. Theo laughed resolutely and accepted the loving and returned it in full. He was just glad to be back among friends who needed him and actually appreciated him for more than what he was.

"We thought…" Dean said his face wet.

"How'd you…" Sam started with his face no better.

"Dying hurts." Theo said nonplussed. "I'm so glad to be back with you both." Then looked at them in turn, "Sorrow or joy, I think maybe joy, and I share that. You two have taught me a great many things in the little time I've been with you, I can't wait to see what this decade business holds for us."

With that they fell into a mass on the mattress hugging, kissing and playing about totally carefree for once in a great while.

Epilogue

Ten years later

Theo was basically grown now, a well muscled, trim lithe, fighter and hunter, he had turned out to be one of the best of the bunch. He was also become Dean's rival at working on cars. And he was gladly still in service to them now. They'd long since abandoned formalities and were comfortable with each other in a way that would have been impossible ten years earlier.

"Mom I'm home." He said coming into the trailer.

"Good thing you are too, Suppers nearly ready, go shower, I can smell you from here." Dean said from the kitchen.

Theo laughed and ran into the kitchen arms thrown wide. "Aw give me a hug."

Dean help up the spoon he'd been stirring with. "You wanna be blessed with spaghetti sauce, move your cute ass and get a shower, God you reek."

Theo knelt to play with Rusty, Sam's seizure dog who had five years of service with them as Sam's seizures had returned to him. Rusty wagged tail and barked playfully lapping at Theo like he was a new toy to play with.

He disappeared to the back of the trailer in moments Dean heard water running. He turned back to the stove content, they'd a string of hunts lately and decided to come off the road for a month to take a breather. Sam was business in the living room at the coffee table typing away on his laptop, a new incarnation to that poor beleaguered system he'd finally had to send to the happy hunting grounds years ago. Dean looked across the bar, "So how's the book coming , Hemmingway?"

"Got the second edits done and ready to send off to the publishers." He said quickly.

"I can't believe we got our records cleared." Dean said shaking his head.

"Yeah, 10 years on and we can now live like honest adults, with a real bank account." He looked at Dean, "You ever think about just coming off the road permanent?"

Dean stopped stirring and leaned over the bar, "Yeah, the thought lasts about long enough for me to set up another hunt."

Sam laughed and said, "I know what you mean."

"Gentlemen, hope I'm not intruding." Castiel said popping in for a regular visit at about the same time, a naked Theo popped out of the hall bathroom and darted into his room and dressed.

"No not really, you got here in time for supper." Dean said "Plenty of spaghetti to go around."

"Thank you I'm just here to check on Theo, his penance is up today, he's a free angel."

Both Dean and Sam looked at Castiel now like he'd just grown three horns. Then Dean shook himself. "Well yeah I knew it had to come sometime soon, I was just expecting a little time down the road, not this quick, ya know?"

"Dean it's been ten years, just like agreed upon."

"God you sound like Lilith." Dean said shivering.

"You would have to bring that bitches name up." Sam smarted back.

"Talking about me again huh?" Theo said shrugging into an LA Lakers' tee shirt.

"Actually talking about your…" Castiel started and Theo finished.

"My time is up, I know I've been keeping track of the days and I've made my decision."

Dean and Sam braced themselves as they knew what might be coming. Dean took the spaghetti off the stove and poured into the colander. Then looked at Theo, "Do you have time to stay for supper?" Dean asked quietly.

"Only if that means I get breakfast tomorrow." Theo said raising a quizzical eyebrow. Castiel actually smiled at this.

"The Father figured you'd be like this, he guessed you would in for the long haul."

"Look I know the body I'm in is going to mature, grow old and one day die, then I'll come back to heaven, for now, I like this arrangement." Dean poured up the sauce into another bowl and then set the table with the fixings. Finally they sat down at the table , Dean looked at Theo and asked.

"Would you do the honors?" He asked reaching out and taking Dean's hand in one and Theo's in the other, Theo then bowed his head.

"Blessed Father, thank you for allowing me to be a part of this family and for supporting me in all the work that has transpired, as I go forth now on the longer journey with my family, keep us under your watchful eye and bless us with your joyous presence as we continue to do your work. Amen."

"Amen" came the chorus of replies.

END NOTES

Ending a story is always the hard part for me, for as a story develops and it takes on a life of its own, it becomes part of me and me part of it, I may have meandered and malingered here and there, but I hope that the pace has been subjective enough to keep you interested. And as an AU story don't worry, there will be future fics where Theo will pop back up here and there. So be ready for it.


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